


The Bindings Of Time

by GothMoth



Series: May's Phantastical Callings [17]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: AU, Character Death, Danny Getting The Respect He Deserves, Danny being a little shit, Danny's OP, Family Drama, Future Fic In Last Chapter, Gen, Graduation, Guardian Of Time Danny, Light Angst, Secrets Reveal, Symbolism, Wakes & Funerals, immortal danny, mentions of dan, mentor ClockWork, post-identity reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-05-28 15:40:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 30,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19397188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GothMoth/pseuds/GothMoth
Summary: A Halfa Owed Time





	1. Eventually, Even Time Moves On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny’s irrevocably tied to time

Danny walks numbly and tentatively places the thermos on the table before slumping into the couch. Rubbing his forehead feeling mildly overwhelmed by everything that’s happened in the past four days. He hasn’t even really had time to properly come to terms with ClockWork’s death, or fading as it’s called. He still feels like he could only be seconds away from hearing a riddle or getting called for apprentice work, which technically he is. 

Fiddling with his hands and mentally ignoring the thermos, “at least his afterdeath ceremony was suiting”. Danny’s still a bit surprised those were even a thing but he should have expected as much for any powerful or respected ghost; and ClockWork is, no was, both. That was even more evident at the ceremony, everything was almost grandiose.

—three day’s ago—

Danny sighs sadly before pushing open the large doors, he’d never really been to this place and now he knew why. It was only for this purpose, the purpose of saying farewell to ghosts of greatness. Looking around he feels both comforted and painfully nostalgic, seeing everything decorated in ClockWork’s purples, greys and blacks; accented by various bits of clocks. Thick rich velvet drapery lining nearly every wall and the seating was all clearly soft extravagant royal purple plush over dark grey wood. 

Running a finger over one of the chairs, he hears Skulkers' voice, “this is your first ain’t it, Phantom? Well, they are uncommon. Only the highest get them”. Danny shakes his head a little and looks to Skulker, “that’s almost sad but very right”. After all, ghosts weren’t like humans, more solitary than social and perfectly acceptable for one to just fade away. He knew it was best to just let most go without drawing attention to it. Ghosts didn’t grieve like humans did, not unless the faded ghost had a massive and far-reaching impact. Like ClockWork, the Observants...or like him. Even if Danny knew he wasn’t capable of human death or ghost fading. 

Skulker nods as Ember comes to join them, “today doesn’t seem like the time to call you dipstick, so I won’t. Everyone knows you two were unusually close”. Skulker nods, “can’t say any of us know why”. 

“Nor do they even know just how close”, the three turn their heads at the sound of an Observant. Danny’s not surprised that he’s the only one to not really reacting strongly to the presence of one of these guys. Pretty well all ghosts have a healthy fear and respect for the Observants. He and ClockWork have been two of the exceptions, Vlad was one as well but he’s never even met one. Skulker and Ember stand a bit stiff and eye the Observant cautiously while Danny talks, “no surprise to find one of you here. Though I fully intend to punch you if you try to use this to bitch about any of his past transgressions against your desires”. Danny doesn’t really care that Ember is gaping at him a fair bit, someone making a threat at an Observant was considered a rather insane and foolish thing to do. 

“We would expect no different. I am not here for the ceremony. Ghosts pass, it is expected”, Danny can’t help but cross his arms and glare a bit before relenting and holding out his hand. Letting the Observant place whatever he’s holding in a clenched fist into his. Danny understands that whatever this is, isn’t meant for others eyes so he glances at it sneakily; thoroughly amused that his two ghost frienemy’s don’t even try to peak. 

Glancing up at the Observant who merely nods and turns to leave. Danny runs a finger over the time medallion, one that looks so different than what he’s seen before. Tracing the DP symbol inside the gear shape attached to a soft black ribbon, before tucking it to hide away in his cloak. He felt it only fitting to wear the cloak ClockWork had gifted him with as a sign of his apprenticeship, though he kept the hood down. Rich black velvet with white fluffy plush lining the inside, accented by shimmering silver stitching; with the same gear as ClockWork’s for a clasp.

“Normally, I’d ask what weirdness you’re up to now, but I’m not about to question anything involving those guys”, Danny feels a bit of pity for Ember but he’s not completely sure what this means yet. “Yes, some things are better left unsaid. At least until time decides otherwise”, really there’s no way Danny couldn’t make at least a few time jokes. ClockWork would do the same honestly, though Danny has a suspicion not a lot of people know how much of a jokester that man was. Both Skulker and Ember look a bit confused, Skulker shakes his head, “is there nothing to stop you from being a floating joke?”. Danny simply smirks, though there’s not any warmth in it, as a glass case holding ClockWork’s cloak and Staff starts glowing faintly, signifying the ceremonies start. 

Thankfully, Danny’s good at reading people now and can tell there’s not going to be any speeches or talking. Instead, each ghosts takes their turn in spilling some of their own ectoplasm over the case. Simply touching the case appears to be all that’s needed to make them bleed, removing whatever part of their body they touched it with once they felt they’d given properly. Danny does find it a little disturbing but the symbolism makes sense. Something like paying their dues for all the faded time master had done. Some spill more, others less. This almost makes him annoyed the Observants aren’t here, if anyone owes ClockWork, it’s them. Second behind them would be him of course. Though this would likely be royally messed up to humans, but he was a ghost and this is what ghosts do. The clear rightness of all of this only solidifies that to him, even if he was definitely less comfortable with this than the others. Likely influence from his human half but that was ok and expected. 

Danny deicides the best rule of thumb is to give whatever feels right to him, though there’s probably not enough ectoplasm or blood in him to really show how much ClockWork had done for him. He also knew he did a lot in return though, so that made it better. 

Remembering how ClockWork had simply placed his palm to Danny’s chest when accepting, or more so inviting him, to be his apprentice; Danny places the entirety of his palm on the glass case, around the chest area of the cloak and squarely over top of the head of the staff. Letting his ghost forms green ectoplasm flow until he was fairly dizzy, before leaning against a wall and staring numbly at his palm. It really didn’t feel like enough but he knows ClockWork would have berated him for giving so much. 

Kitty walks up to him, glancing at his soaked hand, while Danny rubs his pointer finger with the same thumb. Looking to him sadly, “I’m not going to ask just what or how much he’s done for you. But I can not think of anything that would drive me to give so much”. Danny follows her gaze as she tilts her head back to the case, at least a third of what’s on it is Danny’s. “I would give more if I could and he would’ve berated me for it”, smiling sadly but with fondness, “something tells me, he would have done the same for me”. He knows full well that Kitty’s confused, “in a sense we saved each other. From two different kinds of everything. Self-destruction, being destroyed, corruption. Solitude, weariness, time”. 

“I don’t think I get it. But everything with ClockWork is like that”, Kitty pushes him gently, “you even sound like him”. Johnny comes up and nods, “it’s actually a little creepy man”. Earning a laugh from Danny, “we rubbed off on each other, you could say”. 

Danny spots one of the FarFrozen waving him over so he nods farewell to the couple, catching Kitty mutter, “how do you even save someone from time? Especially ClockWork”. 

ColdStep claps him strongly on the shoulder, Danny finds it nice to not be so much smaller than his odd giant worshipers now. He was even almost as tall as some. ColdSteps voice booms loudly though it’s clear he’s not aiming to be loud, “I am unsurprised to see you here. FrostBite is saddened he could not come himself, but he knows The Time Keeper already knew he wouldn’t be able to”, Danny nods softly, he knows full well how busy the leader of the FarFrozen can be. Danny knows the only reason he wasn’t busy himself is because every ghost instantly agreed to leave Amity be for a while; time’s truce they called it. His fondness of ClockWork was no secret. Walker even went and threatened Vlad to stay away, which he’s still baffled by. After all, Walker’s one of the few that is purely an enemy, not a frienemy. 

ColdStep hands Danny an intricately embellished ice crystal lily, small clocks, gears and birds winding in between numbers and carved vines. “We know humans often give flowers when one of their own dies, so BluePond felt this right. This maybe be an afterdeath ceremony, but you are human too”, ColdStep nods at Danny warmly while Danny runs his clean hand over the ice petals. 

Danny’s currently thankful for being so skilled at schooling his expression and keeping himself from looking weak, otherwise, he’d cry. Doing that around ghosts is never a good idea, so he has to thank not only his secretiveness but ClockWork as well. The man always was big on controlling what he expressed, always preached it as a life necessity. Which in a sense it was, for important powerful ghosts at least. 

Nodding back at ColdStep before heading off to place the lily in the same place his hand had bled earlier, sometimes it was easy to forget he was human when doing things explicitly ghostly. He can’t help but get some amusement from his actions clearly confusing most of the other ghosts. Most of whom were not familiar with human ways, he’s sure ClockWork would get some kicks from his afterdeath ceremony confusing people. He’d be flat out proud that it was Danny causing the confusion. 

Danny can’t help but smirk as his suspicion is confirmed by the ice lily, that shouldn’t be able to melt, melting across the case and coating it in the ornate icy designs. Muttering with a smile at the case, “you can’t help being extra can you?”. He easily overhears a couple of ghosts being completely confused but gives a loose smirk, mood lifted a bit. 

Danny’s not really sure what the purpose of everyone taking a bit of the purple velvet cloth with them is, but he’s not going to complain. Touching a few sections till he finds one that just feels right, pulling the piece away he can’t help but blink a bit surprised. The size and shape of it, is exactly the same as a burial flag. Rubbing his left thumb over the fabric, before duplicating himself to fold the fabric like a proper funerary flag would be. He catches Walker looking flat out impressed and as soon as Walker notices Danny’s noticed him, he stands stiff and actually salutes Danny. Danny puffs his chest out a bit before walking, proud and tall, out with his left hand on the top of the folded triangle of fabric. 

Upon returning home he places the fabric on the only purple shelf in his room. Sitting back against his bed with a sigh, before pulling out the new time medallion. Tapping on the notch of one of the gears before walking over and placing it on top of the fabric. He’s pretty sure he knows what exactly it means now, and he feels ClockWork has earned getting to “keep” the first Phantom time medallion. Since his existence is, in a sense, frozen in time. But the hands of time must keep moving along. 


	2. The Sands Of Time Embodied

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny’s got some changes to make

-return to present- 

Maddie’s returned home while Danny’s been lost in thought, she can tell too as he rubs at the little purple pinky ring he’s started wearing. Danny jerks his head up as he picks up on her presence and quickly chases down his melancholic expression. “You’re home early”.

“Sweetie, it’s five p.m.”, Danny turns his head to clock muttering, “Oh”. As Maddie walks over and ruffles up his hair, “you’re not ok, why? Can I help?”. Danny’s still not really up for explaining to anyone really. But his parents especially, they might have accepted Phantom and him being Phantom but they know nothing about ClockWork or that he was even close with any ghosts. He knows they don’t see him the same as other ghosts and that they view him as more of a hunter, like them, instead of socialising and protecting what’s his, like ghosts do. 

He still appreciates her concern though, “not really”, pausing for a bit with a little smirk, “it’s more of a time thing”. He knows Jazz would lecture him about using jokes as a coping mechanism but Danny thinks he’s damn well deserved it. Plus jokes are really a knee jerk reaction for him. 

“If you’re sure”, she continues talking after sitting down next to Danny, “you can talk to us, you know. I know your life is different and you deal with things I could have never imagined, but still. You’ve got us in your corner no matter what it is or what you need”. Danny can’t help but feel a bit embarrassed as she kisses his hair before going to make supper. 

Danny can hear her come back out but she stops walking, waiting for a beat before asking, “is there a reason you have a beat up thermos sitting on the table? You don’t usually leave them lying around”. Glaring at the thermos a bit before tilting his head backward to her, “figuring out what to do with it. And before you ask, it’s not why I’m bummed out”. Pulling his head back forwards, he pokes the thermos cautiously, “in its confines is a powerful and very dangerous ghost. One whom I have full responsibility over now”. 

Maddie hands him a plate of crackers and a bowl of soup before glancing at the thermos warily, “well first, maybe put them in a thermos that doesn’t look partly destroyed. Second, why would you be responsible for a specific ghost? I know you view the ghost problem as your responsibility but this seems different”. Danny’s glad both his parents have stopped calling ghosts “it”, he was a bit surprised to find that it’s both because he’s part ghost and because their views have actually changed. Sighing, “he was another ghosts responsibility before, but he can’t do it anymore. And it’s my job now to do it”, continuing after shaking his head a little, “and transferring him into another thermos is too risky. He cannot be let out for any reason, ever”. Danny can’t know for sure but his gut says he’s right and he’s got a damn good gut. 

“So you have to make sure he stays in there? That’s this “job”? That seems a little extreme for any ghost and who’s even giving you a “job”?”, Maddie frowns worriedly, “and why can’t this other person do it anymore? Is this dangerous?”. Danny can’t blame her for being worried, pretty much everything he does is dangerous and she wants him safe. “Keep him sealed away yeah, but also to deal with him if he escapes. The rest is complicated”, turning to his mom, “but trust me when I say this isn’t extreme, not for him. If any ghost is deserving of the titles “monster” and “evil”, it’s this one”. 

Pointing a soup-soaked cracker aggressively at the thermos, “jerk”. Maddie’s words don’t really match the mild humour previously in Danny’s voice, “sounds like you’ve dealt with him before and I really don’t like the sounds of that”. Danny eyes his mom before sighing, “yes and I guess he’s someone I really should tell you about. But it’s all tied to why I’m “not ok” as you put it. Because of who used to be responsible for him and why he’s mine now”. Danny’s sure his mom has jumped to some conclusion, normally he’d guess it was likely the right one, but he knows it’s not. As Danny rubs at the gear tattoo on his left collar bone getting lost in thought again. 

—two days ago—

Danny can’t say he’s surprised when his ghost sense goes off and he can tell it’s an Observant, sighing and sitting up as the ghost floats up through his floor, “I’m surprised you didn’t come sooner. Maybe you understand human mourning more than you seem”. Danny’s not about to give them too much credit, he knows it wasn’t out of care for him; rather they just wanted to time things effectively. Clearly the Observant can tell Danny knows that, “the time wasn’t previously favourable, as you likely know. You are being summoned to the clock tower, we do not doubt that you know why”. The Observant is of course right, that’s likely the whole reason one gave him the new time medallion. Apprentice becomes the master sort of thing. Though he hadn’t really expected ClockWork to ever fade, being outside of time and all. “Of course”, smirking a bit before he continues, “you’ve said your peace, now care to observe the door”. Like always he can feel the Observant glaring at him before leaving, ClockWork nearly always dismissed them like that, as did Danny; no way he was ever going to stop either. Even if the words felt bittersweet now and it hurt knowing no one else was going to say them anymore. 

Getting up with a groan before walking downstairs, “Danny, it’s almost midnight. If there’s a ghost issue then just tell me and go back to bed”. Danny curses himself a bit for not being ok enough to have the for-thought for invisibility. Rubbing his neck awkwardly, “I’ve got to make a Zone trip, and no you can’t really help. Sorry?”. Danny knows his mom’s not really comfortable with him going into the Zone and he’s sure she’d probably try to stop him, if that were actually possible to do. Maddie’s frowning gives away that displeasure, “And it can’t wait? At least take the Speeder then”. Danny shakes his head and stops walking just in front of the lab door, turning his head to her, “this doesn’t call for that. The opposite actually, I’ll be back”. Danny’s not sure if she hears him mutter as he walks down, “eventually”. 

It doesn’t take him long to get to the clock tower, he knows the route exceptionally well. Really he knows the whole Zone well, though his parents don’t really understand that yet. 

Putting his hand mournfully on the door and rubbing it before pushing it open. Walking inside he’s a bit startled as the floor and everything else starts changing colours, in a manner similar to rippling waves as soon as his feet touch the floor. Walking forwards and spinning around a little, taking in the blacks, whites, blues and greens. The place is still heavily dark and atmospheric, with an old dusty book feel and smell. But it also somehow feels more lively, sliding his foot across the white with black veining floor, “should have seen that coming. I’m surprised it still feels like the same clock tower”. 

Danny promptly schools his expression as he knows at least two Observants just showed up. Fastening his cloak on as they approach, instantly cluing in that they’re the two highest ranking, “things must be actualised of course and it should be no surprise that we believe you to already be too powerful. However”, one of the Observants floats over to Danny and hands him a core fusion crystal, a time one to be specific, “this is not something he would choose unwisely nor to spite us”. Danny takes the crystal gingerly, knowing full well it’s a time one. Rolling it over as the other Observant floats over to where Dan’s thermos is, “as his powers are yours so too are his responsibilities”. Danny wants to glare but he knows full well that’s likely not a good idea, he knows they’re right. 

Both of them float in front of him now and he can feel their power in the air, “so do you, Danny Phantom, bind yourself to all the confines of time. To be bound to it though free from it. Will you keep guard over the time stream and all those with it. And stand guard against those outside of it, your future evil self and any others who may appear. Do you swear to know the gravity of this role and that you can ensure, you take this knowing full well you can never relinquish it nor pass it on, due to the nature of your existence”. 

Thinking back, at first Danny had watched with childish amusement and wonder at all of ClockWork’s viewing screens, portals and all the things he had rein over. But it hadn’t taken long to see the burden of it, especially when it came to seeing and knowing all of the past, present and future constantly. It made it impossible to really be close to anyone and it made it so you knew everyone intimately well, to degrees others would find disturbing. It was a lonely and solitary thing but in a sense, Danny stood separate and alone already. It’s not like Vlad was a true halfa and the chances of there ever being another was pretty well none. He could be close with people, have friends and family, but no one could truly relate and everyone was inheritally different. That’s why he and ClockWork got along so well, and that made losing him all the worse. And it’s not like Danny wasn’t already burdened, what’s another burden? Besides, he’s certain even the Observants know, no one else can do this. There is no ghost nor human, or hybrid for that matter, who viewed the two species on equal footing and placed his duties above his own self and desires. Like the role of hero and protector, keeper of time was a self-sacrificial role. Not just in body and mind, but social life as well. 

Nodding firmly at the two before him, “with absolute resolution I know, accept and bind. Core bared, I will stand objective and solitary in and out of all aspects of time. To keep time above all others and self. Time eternally to hold me and I it. Time eternally to exclude me but I never it”. 

The two Observants put a hand on either side of Danny’s head, “then with that we bless you keep and forever know all of time, for all of time”. 

One Observant leaves quickly but the other turns back to Danny, “you have your place here now. Time favours none and neither do you. We will be watching”. Danny smirks lazily, “it’s not like you could stop me, we all know that”, smirking even wider, “time favours plenty, else we’d all die or fade at the same age with the same life experiences. I may have cheated time and death itself, but everyone else is victim to its whim or mine”. 

Danny hears that Observant mutter as he leaves, “he’s already just as insufferable as ClockWork, if not more so. And he isn’t even omniscient, yet”. 

Danny knows full well he has to absorb the crystal himself and no way is he going through this around his family. From what he’s heard core fusion was one part pain and one part getting bombarded by new fully fleshed out abilities. Considering how much of an issue his ice core was, this was going to be a trip. 

Walking to the room he had here, though all of this was his room now. Sticking his head inside and raising his eyebrow at the long object wrapped in purple cloth. Unwrapping it gentility and if this had been in less gloomy times he’d have laughed heartily. Instead only smirking faintly as the head of the staff comes fully into view. Shaking his head as he places it on the pillow, the rest still wrapped. Knowing full well that he really shouldn’t touch it without having an actualised time core. 

Rolling the core fusion crystal a little as he sits on the bed, pushing the tip into his chest directly where his core is; before promptly bending over and squeezing his arms around his chest from sharp pain. He’s quite glad for his high pain tolerance and the seclusion of the clock tower. Gritting his teeth and whining, far less painful than his half death but definitely the second most painful thing he’s experienced. Involuntarily shaking as little pinpricks of something that feels like how cinnamon tastes but on fire, ripples around his chest. His breath coming out cold and ice forming thinly on his skin from his overactive core as new energy is introduced. Pushing his head into the bedsheets as a waving pulse of blueish purple energy shoots out from him and out across the entirety of the Ghost Zone. 

In an instant he can see everything, some feel his energies pulse and become confused, others like the Observants nod as they know they’re being watched. Wheezing and putting his hands on his head at the bombardment of sensory input. Promptly passing out as his mind gets halfway through cataloging how every ghost died, in detail. 

It’s a full day before Danny wakes up, pitching forwards off the bed and onto the floor. Groaning as he rolls over blinking away the images of the eight other ways he could have reacted upon waking up. “Fuck ClockWork, better warning needed”, patting at his aching chest as he rights himself. Turning his head to the staff still lying innocently and temptingly on the pillows. Staring at it and wondering whether he should do that now or wait, the future doesn’t really seem to care on that one. So with a shrug, he elects to unwrap it, chuckling as he normally would have been caught off guard by the little electrical shock of the staff bonding with his energy. Of course he already knew that would happen, spinning the staff around lightly, “it is incredibly odd instantly knowing how to use literally every single new power, when it took over a year to get my ghost and ice core shit down”. Looking down at his chest and raising an eyebrow, “ice time core? Cold time core? Naw”, snickering, “time freeze core”. Sure it was ice first but the new time powers and “job” took precedence over everything. Plus his ice powers were just another ghostly power to him, but these time powers where a whole nother beast, a completely new aspect of himself. 

Tapping the staff on the ground and electing to test this out, pushing the button on the top, “time out”. Shaking his head as everything with exactly 28 feet of him just stops, “damn that is so accurate and it’s rather weird this power needs a vessel to channel it out of me, I get it but still”. Chuckling because of course he gets it, he’ll probably “get” everything now. Chuckling more, “it’s going to be impossible not to basically cheat at school, there’s literally nothing they could teach me that I wouldn’t automatically know. I’d just have to conjure up the knowledge”. Tilting his head as he says, “time in”, Danny’s not sure about how he feels more ok and comfortable with ClockWork being gone now. It simultaneously feels like it happened ages ago, today and years from now. Fully able to view his old mentor at any point in time. “Man, if I wanted his advice I could literally just view it”, Danny squints his eyes before facepalming as one of the scenes of past ClockWork, before Danny was even born, is clearly giving him advice, “welcome home, Daniel. I may be a phantom of times past but you’re the phantom of its future. Let your staff aid you well, we both know it will. I’d say not to worry about Dan, but you will. To protect is to worry. But now too must you guide and that spares little room for worry”. 

Shaking his head, “sneaky bastard, but thanks and I know. Still going to be a general mess of a halfa though”. Turning his head to one of the screens and making it show a reflection of himself, technically it’s not really a reflection just an angled view of the present but still. He already knows his eyes turn purple when using time powers but he literally has to see it now for his just recently past self to know it, “man this is somehow both messed up and seems utterly normal”. It’s easy to be used to something when it feels like you’ve had it forever because you can literally see and know those powers for eons past the current time. Calling another “time out” in front of the mirror just to make the point of seeing his eyes change purple. He’ll admit it feels like a reminder of ClockWork and he knows the only reason ClockWork’s eyes didn’t change is cause he is, was, a full ghost. 

Giving himself a better look, the staff's body/neck is vertically pinstriped black and dark grey, with a white sphere at the bottom; easily taller than ClockWork’s. Which only makes sense as he’s quite a bit taller than him. Crowning the top of the staff is a black sideways capital D, making a dome shape. With an upright white capital P the spine of which is stabbing through the D, to connect with the body of the staff. The inside of the P holds a clock with the button resting on top. 

His outfit itself has changed only a little, there are hourglasses on the backs of his hands filled with black sand with purple sparkle. “Sam’s so gonna bug me about that”, but he’s going to say her exact words as she does just to bug her right back. Plus, as he tilts his hand to move around the sand, purple is ClockWork’s colour; so he’s got a little reminder even if he forgoes the cloak and staff. 

Next tracing his fingers over the little clocks lining his belt, all showing different times of course. Smirking as he summons a DP time medallion out of one, “convenient and stylish”. There’s no real humour in his words though as he sighs and rubs the gear clasp on his cloak, which is a little bigger, and he knows the cloak is truly part of him now. Though he could technically take it off, just like his jumpsuit. The only other difference in the cloak is that the hood comes to a long point and zig-zags like a lightning bolt. “Well it is a little odd having an actual tell on me of how I died, but I really should have had one already”, talking also makes him notice how his fangs are a bit longer, no doubt due to being more powerful. Checking his ears and yup, the points jut out further. “More ghostly but hey, no fire hair or blue skin”, Danny really means no offence to ClockWork but blue skin is something he’d prefer to avoid ever having. 

Calling “time in” and sighing as he can see his mom, clearly upset and sitting on his bed, “well it has been a full day”. Floating back into the main area while easily switching to his ghostly tail which wiggles about energetically, sighing a bit at the release of energy, “and no wonder why ClockWork sticks to his tail, it’s like the little release of built-up energy I get from my ghost sense”. At least the time part of his core he uses pretty well automatically just by thinking, so build ups not really a concern. But there’s a lot more of time than ice. 

Floating to be in front of Dan’s thermos and crossing his arms, knowing full well he can’t leave it here unguarded but otherwise he’s not sure what to do. Dan, and his thermos really, exists outside of time, he literally can’t see his/its future. Which is genuinely disturbing and feels so very wrong. “Dear Phantom, I really do feel like I’ve been this way for eternity”, he’s pretty well sure it’ll take longer to get used to this coming naturally to him rather than getting used to what is actually new but doesn’t feel like it is. 

Picking up the thermos cautiously he elects to go home. 

Once home, he knows full well it’ll be a while before either of his parents are back. Having a ghost research meeting to go to in another state. Glaring down at the thermos, not really liking how it and Dan’s energy taints his room. 

Putting it down on his bed before changing back human, only to be promptly cut off from the complete awareness of well, all of time. “Figures, this’ll keep me from coming off as completely weird and the break is nice”, this makes him sigh and feel a bit bad for ClockWork. But he can’t help but smile at his reflection, easily seeing the top of the new little gear tattoo; a mark of time. Pulling his collar down to get a proper look before patting at it gently. 

He knows he needs to see his chest too, his scar has changed some after all. Danny always found it amusing that his scar is more because of a forming core, a core that’s always there regardless of form, rather than the actual shock of the portal. 

Lifting the bottom of his shirt up and smirking at the fuzzy and glitchy looking circular white scar. Like a soft reflection of the moon over tightly rippling water. He does find it sad that he’s really the only one who will think of this scar fondly. Tucker and Sam just find it an unpleasant reminder of the accident, which was rather traumatising for everyone really. His parents had only caught glimpses off it but he knows they think it’s smaller then it is and won’t be happy about it when they do finally get a good look at it. 

Shaking his head and sighing at the thermos, it’s a lot easier to not be bothered by not being able to see its future when his heads not being constantly filled with all of time. Tilting his head as he checks up on time, he’s going to have to make a point to do this frequently while human; because therein lies the downside to this “break”. Time guarding wasn’t really something you can or should take a break from, so much can happen in seconds. 

Glancing at his phone before heading down to the living room, thermos in tow. He knows his friends are freaking out a bit, he’s been kind of hard to contact since ClockWork’s fading but they know what happened, so they’re giving him space and everything is giving him time. He’ll have a lot to tell them but for now, he’d really rather not. Especially because his human friends don’t really get his affection for ClockWork. 


	3. Time Confines Us All, Even Time Itself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny gains and losses bindings

—return to present—

“Um, Danny? Sweetie?”, Maddie pulls Danny out of his head, a head that is much more overfilled than it used to be, as he starts paying attention to her again. “Sorry just thinking, adjusting perceptions and what not”, judging by his mom’s expression that didn’t make much sense. He could just look back to see what they were talking about but it would be more natural, to a regular human or ghost, to not. Though Danny is finding it a little odd to not have instant access to the information. Just like with his ice, being in his human form seems to dampen his time powers and make them not so automatic. He actually has to forcibly look through time instead of his mind just doing it on its own as soon as the thought occurs to him. Effectively giving him a break from it, which is probably good for his, still partly human and thus totally not meant to handle this, psyche. 

Blinking a bit, as he realises she never asked why he was gone so long. Sure he’d leave for hours at a time but not two full days, which was probably going to happen a lot now. Having time powers makes time feel a bit irrelevant, even if he literally can’t lose track of it, it’s more like he can ignore its passing or lack thereof. Lot easier to be grounded in the now as a human though, makes the loss of his mentor feel closer though. 

“Um, sorry for being gone for so long”, rubbing his neck, “can’t say I like making you cry. Not my intention though, I didn’t know how long I’d be”. She’s looking at him a bit more confused, sighing worriedly, “you know me well, but I still feel like I’m playing catch-up with you”. Shaking her head at him which just makes him feel a bit guilty, as she keeps talking, “I don’t want to push you, since you’re obviously not in the best of spirits; even if I do want to know”. Danny nods, he can’t claim to be surprised. Both his parents have been that way since he was about sixteen. Two years of hiding and lying took its toll, but the past year of honestly had helped. Even if there still was so very much and now a whole lot more. 

“Well, it wasn’t anything bad or dangerous and I sort of knew what was happening”, pausing to check that talking about this won’t mess with anything, he can’t rely on ClockWork to be hyper-vigilant and pop up if he’s about to fuck up anymore. No, now he’s got to be even more hyper-vigilant, about pretty well everything. Tilting his head as he flips through scenarios, trying to just glaze lightly over so he doesn’t know literally everything anyone’s about to say to avoid coming off like an unnatural ass. ClockWork may have basked in that but he wasn’t about to pull that on his own family. 

Once he’s content this won’t fuck things up and knowing that yeah, putting off the topic of ClockWork is a bad idea, even if he’s still mourning him. Blinking a bit as he realises he’s going to have to “come out” as the master of time at some point to the entire Ghost Zone, that or he could be a sneaky bastard. He prefers option two at least in the beginning, continuing to speak now, “it’s the new job”, flicking his fingers at the thermos but not actually touching it, “babysitting this jerk isn’t the job, he just comes with the territory”. 

“So you took someone’s old job? A ghost related job or a job a ghost did? And a super evil ghost in a Fenton thermos came with? Can’t say I like that any more than before”, deciding he prefers biting the bullet over dragging things out, like always. Danny clears his throat, “more like inherited it, I’ve been apprenticed for it since I as about 15 and he picked me out well before I was even born. And it’s a job done by a ghost, now a halfa”. Rubbing his neck a bit sheepishly, “technically this evil son of a- was my problem and responsibility first, he just became the other guy’s responsibility because he helped, basically cheated for, me”, smirking a little as he finishes, “and now everything’s come full circle, like the hands on a clock”. 

Danny can tell she’s a bit more shocked and not exactly pleased, “why would you get apprenticed for a ghost job? None the less be an apprentice to a ghost?! The rest I don’t get at all”. Watching his mom for a second, who looks more confused than understanding, before sighing sadly, “he saved my life, in more ways than one. If he hadn’t cheat time itself for me, I would have been destroyed. Likewise I saved him, in me he found what he’d been waiting for since the beginning, someone to exist with him and free him”. Looking off at a wall aching with slowly fading sadness and loss, which just makes his cores lingering ache more noticeable, “I got continued existence and he got fulfilment and long earned rest. Free from the confines of the job, of eternity and time”. 

Rubbing his chest as he feels Maddie poke him, “sweetie you’re rambling a bit. I’m glad he saved you but it seems like you’re constantly in a state of near destruction. And I think I need to know what this job actually is, what kind of jobs do ghosts even have?”. 

“Um mom, we already went over me being indestructible now. Matured core and all that. He didn’t save me from near destruction, he saved me from guaranteed absolute destruction. Me surviving was impossible, that’s why I say he cheated. This thermos and who’s inside wouldn’t even exist if he hadn’t cheated. Saving me meant also saving the most powerful and evil ghost to ever exist”, knowing full well the conclusion his mom’s going to jump to here, “and no, I know he didn’t do it to save the evil ghost instead of me. And as for the job, it’s complicated. Overwhelmingly so, but this job is how he was able to cheat at all”. He can tell she doesn’t really believe him on the whole, ClockWork did it to save him, thing. Knowing that she’ll think he feels that way because he’s so ghost friendly, which it’s a damn good thing he is. Sighing, and tapping on the thermos, “the reason I was going to be destroyed was to destroy the ghost confined in here. Because if I stopped existing before that stupid C.A.T. test, then he would never have existed at all. This ghost destroyed nearly all of humanity and most ghosts. Laid waste to every human city and ghost lair. Eventually, he would have destroyed everything and everyone. He’s perfectly capable of still doing that, hence why he can not be allowed out”. 

“How-how? That, makes no sense? A ghost? A ghost could be that dangerous? Why is his existence, tied to, yours?”, frowning a little as he watches her eye the thermos clearly a bit freaked. Turning his head away from her, “because, because he’s me. Me as a full ghost after getting my humanity torn out”, grimacing hard as he talks, “you want a ghost devoid of emotions or good, he’s it. His name is Dan, Dan Phantom”. 

“Bullshit”, Danny jerks from that response and promptly decides he probably should have checked the future a bit better, apparently. Maddie shakes her head harshly, “you don’t have a bad bone in your body. You’re good”. 

“Well yeah I’m good, hence the whole he's me minus all humanity and horrendously traumatised after you all got killed in a massive explosion right in front of him. Not to mention getting experimented on afterwords by an utter frootloop”, shaking his head because he did feel a bit sorry for Dan, especially after seeing what Vlad actually did to him. “That me had it more than just bad, pretty well every awful thing that could happen to him, did. People don’t survive that and stay good, especially when they literally lack humanity”. Maddie meets his eyes looking a bit haunted as he finishes, “simply put, Dan snapped, becoming completely callous; a psychopath with zero traces of any morals”. Patting her hand, “but that was before my core stabilised. Dan was able to snap like that because his humanity was torn out before his core stabilised, making him already inherently unstable as a full ghost. My humanity can’t even be torn out now. So I can’t become him, not anymore”. 

“I, good. That’s good. What are you, going to...do.....With him?”, Danny still doesn’t really know, “well, I can’t leave him prolongedly unguarded, that’s why he’s here. Can’t carry him with me like this either, far too dangerous. And my room isn’t exactly closed off from all others without permission”. Frowning at the thermos, “really I need some way were no one but me has any form of access to him or the thermos but is also near me frequently”. 

“Well um, what’d the other guy do? Why would he retire if you, or him, didn’t have a plan”, Danny winces a bit at her saying “retire”, but ignores it for now, “he lived in a section of the Zone that is literally closed off from all others without permission. Technically it’s my home now too but I’m not going to move to the Zone. Obviously”. 

Danny raises an eyebrow at Maddie who clearly has an idea, tilting his head to the side knowing damn well he needs to know if this idea is a massive fuck up or not. Sighing as there are about three different kinds of inventions she could be thinking of and that she’s going to blurt out the one that’s a damn bad idea. Talking just as she goes to open her mouth, “no, no building some melting device. I don’t even need to be able to look to know just how many ways that could go horribly. The blue containment shrinking sphere is your better idea”. Tapping his chin as an idea hits him, “could even fashion that into a necklace or bracelet if need be”. Sam was already going to eye him about the pinky ring so a Dan bracelet wouldn’t be too much further weirdness. 

While Maddie shakes her head and looks slightly frazzled, “did, did you just...read my mind? Danny what?”. Danny rubs his neck sheepishly, “no, it’s part of the job. I could tell you had some idea so I had to make sure that whatever the idea was wouldn’t result in a bad outcome”. He’s going to have to pull this on his parents a lot, the stuff they create can flat-out go against physics sometimes. He really wouldn’t put it past them to mess with time on accident. 

“So you saw the future? What? What is this job even?”, Danny blinks realising he hadn’t actually told her earlier. But also not really wanting to yet, “I’d uh, rather deal with the Dan problem first. Kind of urgent and I know building stuff takes a while”. Maddie stares at him incredulously but sighs, knowing damn well that pushing Danny won’t actually get you answers; just diversions and lies. 

Danny can tell she’s a bit annoyed as she waves for him to follow her to the lab, glaring at the thermos before grabbing it and following her. 

—two days later—

Jack comes upstairs from the lab cupping what looks like a fragile hallow ice bubble, but Danny already knows it’s by no means fragile, heck he’d have a hard time destroying it. Maintaining a blank expression as he catches it from his dad, “can’t say I entirely get what you need it for son, but! It’s all complete! Another Fenton works creation in the bag!”. Danny can’t help but smile a little bit, he liked seeing his dad happy and it’s pretty obvious to anyone really, that his dad took inspiration from Danny’s ice for this creation. Danny’s slight smile turns into a smirk at the thought of how this was a bit ironic. Dan couldn’t use ice powers because of his unstable core, this was practically a bit mocking. 

Smiling at his dad as he hands Danny a bowl of cereal, before sitting down. “So Danny-boy, Mads tells me you’ve got some future sight thing now?”, Danny chokes on his cereal faintly, for being able to know everything and see the future he sure is getting caught off guard often. Which is keeping him from coming off as completely weird to his family though, Sam and Tucker will know somethings up pretty quick though. Tucker’s practically got a six sense for when Danny’s become stronger or has some new power. 

Clearing his throat, “uh, yeah”, raising an eyebrow at his mom as she walks in. Obviously she didn’t hear Jack though as she just looks confused, until his dad starts talking again anyway, “so...how does it work? Can you just see to any point? Is it random?! You still learning to control it? How’d you get this one? Your other powers are all general ghost powers, ice core powers or you unique one; is this another unique?”. Danny can’t help but chuckle at his excitable father but his mom speaks before he gets a chance to properly respond, “yes I told him sweetie, we’re family”. Danny smiles at her warmly, he can’t really blame her for making a point that secret keeping isn’t a Fenton thing, “yeah it’s fine”, turning to his dad, and electing to just ask like a normal damn person instead of probing the past, “it’s a bit complicated dad. Did mom tell you I got a ghost job now?”. Jack nods excitedly, “yeah! Said you took over a ghosts job! But I was assuming you wanted both of us to hear about that rather than just explaining it to us separately”. Danny mentally facepalms, realising he could have easily used that excuse on mom and clearly mom didn’t even think about that herself, as she blinks and nods. 

Danny rubs at his neck but he’s definitely feeling better about everything now so he supposes he’s up for talking about it now. The ghosts giving him a break and the both physical and mental reminders of ClockWork make it a lot easier. Being in ghost form even more so, even if he’s utterly omniscient in ghost form now. Plus it’s honestly weird not knowing everything on the drop of a hat as a human now, way too easy to instantly be used to something like that, “that wasn’t the reason for my lack of explaining earlier. I just wasn’t up for talking about it yet”. 

“And now?”, like always his mom’s more concerned about him than interested in learning something new. Which does really make him happy, “I’m better. Still miss him though”. Rubbing his neck again as he can tell he’s promptly confused both of them, “mom, he didn’t retire. He faded, that’s the word for when a ghost dies”. Jack does look a bit sad, mostly cause it’s clear to him that his son is. While Maddie looks a bit more upset, having been made aware, at least a little bit, how close Danny was to this particular ghost. “Oh sweetie, I’m sorry. You said he was your mentor, so I’m guessing he was kind of like a parent to you?”, Jack blinks before going wide-eyed as Danny nods. Danny fiddles with his fingers a bit, rubbing at the ring as he responds, “you guys are my human family, human parents. ClockWork was my ghost family, ghost parent. Not sure if that makes any sense”. 

Jack nods curtly, “makes sense you’d have a ghost close to you in that way, need family on both sides I imagine”. Danny nods, his dad’s always been the one more readily accepting of things, while his mom looks a bit more sad, “so in the same way you followed us in our jobs, be it in a different way, you did the same with him”. Danny a blinks a bit and smiles, “kind of yeah. But what ClockWork did, what I do now; is a lot more important. There’s a reason it comes with an oath to put the job before everything and person, including yourself, at any cost. For ClockWork that cost was solitude and immortality until a suitable successor”, Danny can’t help but frown, ClockWork played it off well but it was clear to him how worn and lonely he really was. Sighing, “ghosts aren’t meant to stick around forever so doing so isn’t exactly, good”. 

Jack chokes on his fudge mildly while Maddie just looks worried, “you seem happy and willing about the job part but he basically cursed you with immortality? That hardly seems good or fair. That cost is extreme too, what if you had to kill someone for this job?”. Jack only nods as he rubs his throat while Danny sits up straight, not about to let his mentor or his, and now Danny’s, job be insulted; even unintentionally. Though also not showing any displeasure, “it’s different with me and he knew that, that’s why he took me on”, locking eyes with his mom, “have you really thought about what it means? When I said my human and ghost halves protect and heal each other in an unending loop?”. Shaking his head a bit, “my human cannot die, my ghost can not fade. I was immortal from the moment my core fully stabilised, I can’t become anymore immortal and there will be no successor after me. So it’s a forever kind of thing”. Rubbing his neck a bit, “as for the killing thing, technically ClockWork was required to destroy me but he cheated. So there are loopholes if need be, but he also knew there would be a positive outcome to his cheating”. Staring right at both of them, “if I was required to destroy someone and there was no possible future where not destroying them was the better option, then yes. Yes, I would. The only way that would even be required, is if not destroying them would result in complete destruction, of the world or of time itself”. 

“Danny that’s kind of insane. Immortality? If you can handle it then why couldn’t he? Just different personalities or is it because you’re a halfa?”. Danny tilts his head checking timelines again because anything big or biggish secret wise, could have messed up consequences. Giving a smirk and curt nod as everything checks out, which his parents just look confused and worried over. “It’s a halfa thing yes. You see, ClockWork is, was, one of the very first ghosts; an ancient. And yes he was created for this job but he was still a regular ghost. The immortality was because of the job given not caused by his very nature. No full ghost or full human is meant to exist forever so it was confining and taxing”, finishing off his cereal before continuing, “whereas halfas are, by our very nature, immortal. We’re meant for it, so it’s not such a burden”. 

“Son, this job sounds extreme, like it’s a burden itself? What could possibly be a job that strips someone, even a ghost, of mortality?”, Danny can feel that Jack’s actually a bit impressed by his son obviously doing something important. He can also tell his dad’s worried, smiling softly to make it clear he’s fine, “it is a burden, but I was already burdened, so what’s another on the list. Being the hero and protector is a burden, my power is a burden, just being a halfa alone is a burden”. Snickering a bit to himself, because he always got a kick out of his old masters' name, “as for the job, to say it’s extreme is putting it mildly. ClockWork’s name is a pun in a sense, the job is to protect the timestream. Make sure nothing happens to destroy time”. Danny has to restrain himself from laughing at their confusion as they talk at once. 

“Time can be destroyed?”

“How are you even supposed to protect a plane of reality?”

It probably says a lot that Danny never even questioned that when he found out about ClockWork, it just seemed rather obvious. Danny shrugs a bit, “time paradoxes, temporal shifts, universal destruction, planetary destruction would destroy time for earth and Zone so that too. I’ve nearly destroyed it myself twice, it’s not that hard”, rubbing his neck and looking around a bit, “well ok, wasn’t that hard for an overly reckless and overpowered teenager”. 

“As for the how, that’s pretty simple. Watch the future for issues and get rid of or avoid that issue”, shrugging again, “also bound to get job requests from the Observants sometimes, to deal with things that are just destructively bad but not necessarily destructive to time. But they wouldn’t go to ClockWork, or me for that matter, unless they felt they had no other choice. Seeing as how both of us have, or had, a tendacy to go against their wishes and pretty well all laws”, snickering into his hand, “not to mention the puns”. 

Jack shakes his head, “wow Danny-boy. So you must be able to see any point in the future then?”, tapping his chin, “how would a job give you a whole new power though? Does the position just awaken something? Or is there some kind of device? Like an invention!”. 

If someone built a device like that Danny bets he’d have to destroy that for sure, having two people with time powers was asking for trouble. Sitting upright again, because explaining this was going to be confusing for sure and low key freak them out some, “none of the above. I inherited ClockWork’s time powers. You see, there are these things call core fusion crystals, they can basically fuse a core type into another ghosts preexisting core; only if their core doesn’t reject it though. So my core isn’t just an ice core anymore, it’s ice and time”, fondly patting at his chest, it was a bit like having a little of ClockWork literally part of him. Which in a sense was the case, the fusion crystal would have had to be formed by ClockWork from his cores energy. Seeing as he was the only one with a time core, obviously. He wants a better name for it though, even if what he’s got currently is amusing, “time freeze core because puns. Though cold clock core is also pretty amusing”. Tapping his chin, “not to mention, triple C and pays a bit of homage”, now he wants to go with that instead but mutters as he’s shaking his head, “little off track though”. 

“Anyway, calling it a new power is kind of misleading. The person holding the job position is called the Master of Time for a reason”, Danny lets Jack interrupt just to avoid overwhelming his parents because time power is grade A an overwhelming thing to think about someone having. Danny’s honestly still a little thrown that it’s not that overwhelming to have, he’s pretty well instantly used to it still. 

“I’m not sure I follow son. Master just means you watch over it right? Which is pretty wild and a bit awesome already”, Maddie nods with her husband while Danny feels a bit bad for them. Adjusting a little, “I watch over it, yes, but it’s more than that. Master means time is functionally mine. As in, control over it. I can make time stop, reverse, speed up, slow down”, rolling his hand in the air with intentional nonchalance, “teleport myself or others through time, make portals in and out of the Zone”. 

Maddie blinks rapidly while Jack stutters a bit, “you can, stop...time? Like, all of it?”. Danny nods, trying to make this sound less extreme “as much of it as I want, so all of it sure”. Smirking a little, “the way ClockWork explained it to me when we first met, and I tried to fight him, which wasn’t smart”, air-quoting “You see, for me, time goes backward and forward” end air quoting, shaking his head, “after that he insulted me for being 14 and smashed my face into a bell, repeatedly. All around a pretty great guy”. Now his parents look pretty unimpressed so he holds his hands up a bit, “he had reasons, always does. Or did. He did that to make it pretty well clear fighting him was not exactly possible and to get me to jump through a time portal, bunch of stuff really. Saving your guy’s lives makes up for pretty well everything anyway”. Chuckling a little bit, “besides everyone close to me has attacked or tried to kill me anyways. Basically a right of passage at this point”. Pausing for a bit, it’s a bit amusing that the people he’s closest too are technically the most dangerous to him. “Anyway, sidetracked again”.

Maddie raises her eyebrows, “what more could there possibly be to this? This power, you’re practically a god”. Danny winces a bit, he knew a few viewed ClockWork that way which of course meant he’d get the same treatment, “that would depend on what you mean by practically. I’ve been worshiped as a god, or saviour, by an entire clan of ghosts since I was almost 15”. 

Jack laughs, “wow, that is sure something, but I think Mads means power wise not how you’re viewed”. Maddie nods, though looking a little startled, “confined to immortality, time control; compared to that, the worshiping is more funny than anything sweetie”. Obviously his parents underestimate personality and others opinion of you when it comes to the whole “god” thing. 

The Observants are scary powerful and have so much control but no ghost would worship or even consider them close to being gods. They didn’t act the part and no one really liked them. Whereas, ClockWork was a guider and always collected. While Phantom was a protector and helper. And both of them were enigmas that confused other ghosts. But Danny knew he was viewed a lot more on equal footing with other ghosts than ClockWork was. That might just change now though. 

“Eh, I find it both funny and embarrassing. But there are other aspects to the time thing, yes. I’m sort of excluded from time in a sense. So ageing is kind of optional, I could reverse age if I wanted to. ClockWork near constantly shifted between child, adult and old man. Glad I don’t do that automatically, that might be a little too weird. Could if I wanted to though”, shifting and remembering how his mom saw this as a bit of a curse, “so if anything what ClockWork’s fading gave me, was a gift. Saving me from ageing, as power over time frees me from times effects. Unlike other halfas, I will not grow old, and being eternally old would be far more of a curse than being confined to the burden of keeping time”. 

Maddie blinks at him so Danny smiles at her reassuringly, she sighs, “you’re not wrong there sweetie. Though I did assume not ageing was inherent to immortality”. 

“Wish it was”, fiddling with his fingers, “but while the time control is major power it’s, uh, got nothing on the other main aspect”. Tilting his head to again check time-streams and futures, because damnit he will not mess this up, he’d be straight up embarrassed and crushed if he messed up so early. Sure he could likely reverse any fuck ups but still. Plus the Observants would notice, and while he doesn’t care for them, it’s best he makes it clear this job is rightfully his. Jack obviously thinks his son’s stalling though, “well, I don’t think it could be all that much more shocking Danny-boy. You know we’re fine with your powers, just have to adjust is all”. 

Danny returns Jack’s smile after a beat, turning his head to his mom, “Uh you should throw out that cabbage. It’s gonna eat the rest of the tomato soup otherwise”. She looks confused for a bit, which is understandable since the soup hasn’t even been put in the fridge yet. Jack actually gets it pretty quick though, “right! Future sight! Well, thanks then. Why that though?”. Danny’s not really sure what Jack means, since mind reading is not something he can do. Maddie tosses out the, very clearly starting to become contaminated, cabbage as Danny talks, “the other main bit has to do with the future sight. See, it’s not that I can see the future, but rather that I can see everything. Every single possible future, every single area of the present and all of the past. Omniscient, all-knowing. Technically omnipresent as well, since I can know what’s happening everywhere and teleport to anywhere as I please”. Rubbing his neck a bit and looking around, “nice thing about being in human form though, it doesn’t happen automatically. Also a bit annoying though”. Maybe there was an inherent feeling of attentive watchfulness tired to time powers, or it could just be his heroic need to protect and be a vigilant guard. 

“You’re, you, that’s universal knowledge you’re talking about”. 

Danny nods, “yes, when I’m human I have to actually intentionally do it but while ghost, well, I’m constantly aware of everything”. Which does carry a bit of a voyeuristic creepiness to it, knowing everything about everyone was beyond invasive but he needed to know. Besides, it’s not like he’ll do anything too mischievous with his new knowledge. Mr. Lancer is going to be so confused though. 

“That sounds awful actually, completely overwhelming. How are you even able to handle that?”, Danny can’t blame anyone for feeling that way, that kind of power is so incomprehensible to everyone else that just trying to imagine it would be headache inducing. 

“Yeah, that’s kind of why I was gone for two days, the sudden onslaught of well, everything, knocked me out cold for a solid day at least. Gave my brain the time it needed to adjust. But it’s kind of impossible to not be used to it, because of the future sight I automatically knew how to use the new powers; feels like I’ve had them for eons really”.

Jack is clearly a bit confused, “you’re not even that old though? I guess time powers are just really strange”. Danny nods, really everything about him is strange, “in a sense I’ve been here mentally since the beginning of time. I’ve seen every action anyone’s ever taken. And I can or could see every action anyone’s ever going to. ClockWork was even giving me random bits of advice out loud back in the Bronze Age. So mentally I’m not really an 18-year-old anymore. I’m well, old man time”. 

Maddie rubs her temples a bit, “that feels almost painful to imagine. But you’re still our son, and younger than us”. Danny smiles a bit, “well, of course. Just weirder, it’s hard to not be rather confusing to people when you exist outside of time but have it in a more literal sense. I exist in a completely different state than all other life and death. And that state isn’t really comprehensible unless you’re in it. You experience life in the present, while I experience it in the past, present, future and none of them all at once. Young, middle-aged, old, ageless”, Danny shrugs and decides to shut up as his parents squint at him with furrowed eyebrows. 

“Yeah, I’m not sure we can make sense of that sweetie. I think your personality has changed some”, Danny knows she’s got more to say, watching as she taps her chin, “so wait, this ClockWork guy knew you would take his place and view him in the past? All the way back then? What?”.

Obviously she doesn’t find that as funny, or comforting, as Danny does, “he knew from the moment time and him came into existence, but it’s more like he knew I was a possible future. Him and now I, don’t just see one future, but every single possible one. Can tell which is the most likely and could manipulate things to get the most desirable outcome”. Leaning back a bit, “that’s why it’s so important that the Master Of Time is self-sacrificial. Perfectly content to damn themselves to do what’s best or needed. In a way that’s what ClockWork did, if he wanted to stay around all he would have had to do was not offer to take me on as his apprentice. He faded because he was no longer needed as the Master Of Time. But he took me on anyway because that was what was best, he was never meant to be the real Master Of Time. But rather a guardian of the position and guide for when the true one arrive, me”. Chuckling as he knows he damn well sounds like him a bit here. 

“I’m not sure how to even react to that, so he basically destroyed himself, knowing full what it would destroy him”, Danny nods at his mom but tilts his hand back and forth in the air, “yeah, but it was also for his benefit too. Like I said, he wasn’t meant for the confines of immortality and he was worn down by it. No one else knew him well enough to tell though”. 

Everyone’s quiet for a while before Jack, a little less excited than he’d normally be, asks, “so... powers! Demonstration?”. Danny can’t help but chuckle, remembering full well how startling time stopping, then suddenly having something around your neck and being able to be aware of the stopped time, was. Nodding at his dad, already knowing this was perfectly fine to do, plus there’s no way he wasn’t going to have some fun, “yeah, I could find millions of different ways to explain how I am now, mentally, and it still wouldn’t really make sense. So sure, little explanation first though. Time powers are a bit funny, obviously. Anything beyond the awareness stuff needs to be channelled through a time staff. So I guess don’t be too startled by the sudden appearance of a giant stick”. At their nods Danny sticks his left arm and hand out, with his staff appearing directly in his hand; and even if he knew they’d be startled he still laughs, amused. 

Rubbing the staff with his thumb fondly as Jack claps his hands together excitedly and Maddie eyes it impressed, “that is very clearly yours”. 

“Yeah, ClockWork made it before he faded. It’s very similar to his”, pointing at the DP, “his had a CW instead. So I’m not the only one who paraded around with my own initials”. Sighing and missing the guy a bit, “we really had a lot in common”. 

“Did he make tons of jokes too?”, Danny knows full well his dad’s trying to relate and encourage happy thoughts, which yeah of course thinking about a good joke is going to do that. Smirking, “he literally had a grandfather clock in his chest, three watches on each arm, and a pocket watch. His name is even a time joke. When he wanted the Observants to leave he’d always tell them to “observe the door”, which I also do but he started it. He is, was, not as bad as I am but pretty darn close”. It’ll probably be a while before he stops flubbing up current tense and past tense, doesn’t help that he can literally see ClockWork whenever and get random ass advice. At least it was way less confusing now, which obviously meant Danny was more confusing to others than before. Which yes, is amusing. 

Maddie snickers a bit, “no wonder you got along, encouraged each other apparently”, Danny can’t really blame her for looking to change the subject and his very noticeable staff was distracting, “so how do you even stop time? That sounds like it has to be complicated, the staff doesn’t look complicated though”. 

Danny can’t help but tilt his head back and laugh, “naw, simple as the push of a button and a catchphrase, also courtesy of ClockWork”. Jack mutters into his hand, “sweet ghosties, they even both have silly catchphrases”. Danny smirks, “and all this is why the Observants can’t stand either us, we’re both completely insufferable to them”. Glancing amused at his staff before speaking, making sure to push the button just a bit after his words would hit their ears, purely so they could hear the catchphrase, “time out”. 

Pulling out two of his time medallions and slipping one over his mom first, knowing his dad would have the more amusing reaction. Maddie looks around confused and jumps sideways, yanking her hands to her chest, “did you teleport or som-”. Danny nods his chin out towards dad which causes Maddie to cut herself off as she sees he’s not moving. Turning her head back to Danny gaping, as Danny chuckles, “times been out for a good five minutes now. Just in the house though”. Maddie turns her head back to Jack, noticing there’s something around her neck this time. Grabbing at it while Danny pipes up, “ah ah ah, if you take my medallion off you won’t be immune to time anymore”.

Danny moves around his mom, eyeing her amused as she checks out the medallion. Slipping one over his dad’s neck as she talks, “you’re symbol sure is on everything”. 

Jack jerks and flails a bit, “what the?!”. Unlike Maddie, he notices the weight of the medallion near instantly, “Oh?!”. Tilting his head at Danny who’s snickering, “what’s with the jewellery? And oh! Times stopped isn’t it!”. Danny nods with a hand over his smirking mouth, “it’s a time medallion dad and they make you immune to meddlings with time”. Tilting his head back to his mom, “ClockWork’s had his CW on them, so the DP is expected”. Danny smiles softly as his dad looks over the medallion with awe and almost childish joy, he kind of feels like the oldest one here. Which he guesses is true, mentally anyway. 

His mom walks around to face him and he knows the quizzical look is about his eyes, “sweetie, your eyes are purple and glowing purple”. Danny knowingly turns his head to his dad before Jack even has a chance to bound over, “Oh! Like when you use your ice powers! So blue for ice and purple for time?”. Danny nods, having ClockWork’s purple already feels more comforting than saddening. Smiling a little sadly still, “yeah, no surprise really. ClockWork was pretty purple all over”.

Tilting his head as his ghost sense goes off, chuckling at the image of the Box Ghost getting chased off by one, apparently, pissed off guy with a fly swatter. Maddie of course notices, “who is it? Trouble? And also, you’ve been tilting your head like that a lot”. Danny blinks a bit and yeah he has done that every time hasn’t he? While human anyways, well, having a tell could be rather useful. Let people know he’s not just ignoring them or stalling, just checking something out. Chuckling again at the Box Ghost’s dismay, “it’s just Boxy, times truce is still standing so he was just here to say high but gave up. Might have a slight grudge against fly swatters for a bit”. He can’t help but smirk at his parents' mild confusion, “and the head tilt is a bit of a tell, I guess. I’m checking time stuff. Futures or just what’s going on elsewhere”. 

“Well, no wonder you’d stop speaking then! And times truce?”, Maddie nods at her husband but raises her eyebrow at Danny, “why are you doing it so much though?”. 

“As a Ghost it’s constant. And we’ve been talking about bigger more important things, saying the wrong thing or at the wrong point could mess with things”, to Danny this just makes sense and seems almost obvious. And it did well before being the Master Of Time, likely has something to do with all the time he spent around ClockWork and the apprentice work. Sighing and closing his eyes a bit mournfully, “times truce is the name given to the truce that’s been called in wake of ClockWork’s fading. That’s why there’s been no ghosts for around a week, the truce extends to Amity because I’m here. My closeness with him was well known”. 

“Oh, sorry, again”, Danny nods softly at his mom. He gets that she doesn’t really know what to say, they’re not exactly familiar with how this stuff is handled, “I’ll be fine. There isn’t normally this big of a deal when a ghost fades. Ghost don’t grieve like humans do, ghosts fading is sort of just ignored normally. But ClockWork’s impact was far-reaching and everyone was affected by him. So an afterdeath ceremony was in order, meaning a truce as well”, Danny’s still a bit unimpressed with the Observants. He’d think they’d stick around just to not rub people the wrong way, it’s like they wanted to be viewed with disdain and contempt. 

His dad has a hint of excitement to him, though clearly not exactly happy, “Oh? New ghost tradition, so what’s that?”. Maddie smiles awkwardly, and tries for a joke, “ghost celebrities, huh?”. 

Rubbing over his ring again, “more like respected than celebrated, and it’s a funeral, dad. Minus speeches or flowers, but add in offerings; equal to what the ghost felt they gained or took from the faded one”. Danny can tell his dad is torn between excitement of new knowledge and feeling dejected, funerals weren’t exactly something to be excited over. Walking over and swinging his staff in time with his steps, talking as he pats his dad on the shoulder reassuringly, “yeah it’s not a happy thing, of course. It was good to have though”. 

Both of them nod while Jack eyes the staff a bit, “on a happier note, instantly makes you seem more powerful and mature. Sure will add to the effect Phantom just has on people. Won’t it be a pain to carry in fights though?”. Maddie nods, “doesn’t seem like the most practical thing”. Danny’s not even sure what to think of that, of course the staff has an air of power, his power was in it. Plus it was a weapon in a sense and weapons just make people look powerful and dangerous. Least he hasn’t whipped out a scythe, which really ClockWork only had and used to be dramatic. “Uh, stopping time is very practical; for me anyway. Need the staff for that but I don’t have to carry it around as Phantom. It’s simply here when I want it to be, regardless of form”. This seems rather obvious to him but he does chuckle at the mental image of someone literally being forced to carry what’s effectively a giant fancy stick, constantly. 

Smiling softly, “but I’m guessing you want to see how this all looks on Phantom. Besides, the staff isn’t the only change, I carry twelve medallions around my waist in little clocks for one”. His mom chuckles but nods, clearly happy for the different subject, “are you actually guessing or do you already know? And there’s a lot of clock imagery with this”. 

“I don’t know everything constantly while human and I can’t read minds, so guessing is accurate, consider it a. educated guess. And tell me about it, it’s much to my amusement though”, jokes were jokes even if they were a bit on the nose. At least they were used to him transforming now but they’ll be caught off guard this time. 

Smirking a little as he lets his white rings wash over him with purple ones forming to make his cloak. He does find it a bit funny that his Time Master stuff gets its own unique little transformation rings. Feeling the hood settle in just behind his ears, which did make how pointy and longer they were stand out a bit. Least it kept his white hair easily visible. 

Jack actually jumps a little and Maddie covers a gasp with her hand, at least she didn’t start having a coughing fit like one of the other possibilities though, “yeah, like I said, there’s been changes”. Rubbing the gear clasp, “ClockWork made the cloak for me back when I first started apprenticing under him. It’s part of my form now and he had a similar purple one”. Shrugging exaggeratedly, “hood was rarely up as an apprentice though, seems pretty content to stay up now”. 

Jack walks up and touches the cloak, again filled with childish wonder, “oh! It’s soft!”. Danny laughs and tilts his head back a little, “it’s royal velvet and plush, ClockWork’s way of being extra. Got silver stitching too. His was silk and satin”. Maddie mutters, “well that’s one way of showing off high status. Definitely excessive”. Danny nods amused, “excessive done with complete nonchalance, absurdity becomes mundane when you’ve seen it all and fades to nothing when time’s functionally ineffective on you”. Snickering a little, “kind of like how putty making farting sounds is highly amusing to children but disregardable to adults”. 

Maddie looks a bit baffled and Danny shrugs as she talks, “yeah your personality has changed”. And how could it not really? He wasn’t exactly the most knowledgeable person before and know he was basically THE most knowledgable person. Being in Phantom form didn’t exactly help in that regard, “I’ve always been a bit of an eccentric mess, now I’m just an eccentric mess with all of time in me and at my whim. Be impossible not to change some”, really changing is something he knows damn well at this point, “I changed when I became Phantom as well. Power and responsibility changes people, this is just more noticeable to you as it seems instantaneous. For me, it’s been eons of eternity”. 

Both of them nod obviously not really able to wrap their heads around that, though Danny fully expected that. And at this point, Danny figures he really shouldn’t just suspend the house in time forever, technically he could but this is bound to be weird enough for his family already. Quietly muttering, “time in”, because he will carry that on, while his mom talks, “seems more noticeable while you’re a ghost and this is going to take some getting u-”, she cuts herself off as she blinks at Jack’s time medallion free chest. Then raising her eyebrow at Danny, who snickers faintly, “time’s going again. And don’t worry about not really noticing, I’m the only one who’s supposed to easily notice time being messed with. Yes I knew you were going to ask about that and yes you guys are just going to have get used to me being more odd than usual as-well as just knowing things”, holding up a finger somewhat playfully as he continues, “but just because I know doesn’t mean I’ll point it out or give you an answer to something. ClockWork was big on riddles and intentional confusion for a lot of reasons, somethings really should be known only by time and it’s master”. Jack is clearly disappointed but hopefully this will keep him from pushing answers out of Danny. His dad’s a bit more pushy about things, but his mom’s the one to sigh and speak, “can’t say I like more secrets and lying Danny. But I know you have a point”. 

Running his free right hand through his hair, “I know, but then again, I know everything”. This motion gets Jack to focus on Danny’s hourglasses, grabbing at his hands animatedly and lifting them up and down to watch the sand? move. Danny wheezes a bit as his dad looks rather giddy, “it’s so detailed! Like real sand!”. Now Maddie’s over inspecting it too, “is there even a point to these?”.

“Does there really need to be? Purpose is relative anyway. But the flow of sand is affected by the state of time around me. Flows slower if times slowed, faster if it’s sped up, and doesn’t flow at all while times stopped”, Danny smirks, “like a time sense”. Danny leaves out that he can make the sand spill out his fingertips endlessly. Freezing, unfreezing, slowing or speeding time on whatever it’s spilled on. And he’s got a feeling it will work effectively even on things outside of time. Raising an eyebrow as he gets an idea and eyes the crystal-like sphere on the table, “hey dad, I’m going to make a bit of an addition to the little containment device. Cool?”. Danny’s not some ass that doesn’t ask first, even if he already knows the answer. “But of course Danny-boy! Haven’t got the faintest idea what but I’m always interested!”, both them let go of his hands and Maddie goes to make lunch though she does eye him curiously. Danny can’t help but shake his head a little, the passing of time was a bit weird feeling now. Being unaffected by it and able to fully ignore it, or be acutely aware of it; seemed to result in him either being hyper aware or “losing track” of it. Even more so when it simultaneously feels like barely seconds have passed and like it’s been centuries, since he ate breakfasted or since the Observants, begrudgingly, gave their blessings. 

Sitting down after sending away his staff and changing to his ghostly tail, which like always now, makes him feel less overflowing with power. Rolling the sphere back and forth between his hands and descretly seeping sand inside it as he does. Eventually holding it up and giving it a shake, making the sand swirl and float around in the gravity nullified insides. Maddie raises an eyebrow, “how’d that even get inside there?”. 

“That would be telling, wouldn’t it?”, Maddie sighs, slightly humoured though, as she plates everyone’s food.

Danny has to catch his plate as him changing back to Fenton startles her, seconds before Sam and Tucker both barge in, startling her even more. Putting her hand on her chest and gapping at Danny’s friends, “your hands' work don’t they?”. Danny snickers as Tucker makes a show of actually checking that he does indeed have hands while Sam walks up to Danny, “what is the entire Zone sulking or something? Cause we’re getting kinda paranoid over here”. Danny rubs his neck guiltily, he probably should have mentioned the times' truce to them but he was a bit distracted at the time and securing Dan was more vital than a hangout session. “More like truce than sulking. But it’s fair to say moods aren’t exactly high. And everyone is a bit confused as to wondering just how close me and ClockWork are, were”, Sam grimaces a bit at his slip up while Tucker leans against the table, “could have used to know about the truce dude. Makes sense though, really should have seen that coming”, shoving Danny on the shoulder, “he’d be glad to still be confusing the heck out of people though”. Danny’s absolutely positive of that, “one thing I certainly didn’t see coming was Walker straight up saluting me, full body military style”. Sam mouths, “damn”. 

While Maddie tilts her head with a question on her lips, Danny tilts his head back and just answers her; both to decrease his friends' future confusion and cause it a little, “no not yet. No ghosties have a clue either”. His mom’s looks like a mixture of being impressed and judgmental. Danny shrugs exaggeratedly, “to say I’ve been a bit, preoccupied, would be an understatement, yeah?”. Maddie nods before offering his, rather lost, friends some food. Turning back to his friends, “I’ll explain but you got here in time so feel like flipping off Dan’s thermos before I shove it inside of a snow globe?”. Jack snorts loudly at his friends startled jerking and Sam smacking him, “what the hell?! It makes sense but seriously, Danny?”. Tucker just eyeballs the little sphere before stuffing his face. Danny shrugs defensively, “like I said, been busy. Bunch of shits happened this week, some you know some you don’t. But yeah Dan’s my issue to sort out now and can’t just go leaving him unattended in the clock tower”. 

“Yup! Me and Mads made a super tough shrinking containment! Still kind of hard to believe though”, Jack scratches at his head and Danny’s pretty well sure neither of them are ever really going to believe he’s capable of anything remotely close to what Dan did. The confidence, though misplaced, is nice. Tucker mutters through a mouth full, “and what’s the point of the sand?”. Maddie just points at Danny, who smirks slightly, “just a touch of time is all”. Sam pinches her nose and snorts, “you’re awful. Both of you”. 

“Birds of a feather, flock together”, Danny’s muttering just earns him a confused glare from Sam. Shaking her head at him, “so how long’s the truce for and could we, or more so you, deal with that thing sooner rather than later”. Danny nods rolling the sphere around a little, “it’ll be overcome tomorrow, but I doubt there’ll be much in the way of issues. Boxy already showed but he wasn’t looking to cause shit”, snickering, “he got shit though”. Tucker shakes his head, obviously amused but Jack slaps his hand on the table making everyone but Danny jump, pointing at the sphere as he talks, “that's right! I don’t think I really need to tell you how it works but, I will anyway. Like absorbing goo! Just push it down on the thermos and voila!”. Danny chuckles into his hand and tilts his head, making sure that now really is the best time for this. Frowning a bit as it’s clear the time dust/sand still needs to settle in a bit. Some of it seeping into the cracks and making a mini explosion isn’t exactly favourable. He could do without the thermos becoming even more damaged. Catching Sam’s raised eyebrow, poking the sphere as he talks, “time sand is taking its sweet time”. 

“What’s it even supposed to do, dude?”, Danny watches amused and mildly weirded out as Tucker sniffs at the sphere. Shaking his head, “you’re still the weird one. And time stuff, duh”. Tucker rolls his eyes at him while Sam's eyebrows raise even more and she pulls down the collar of his shirt, even without future sight and universal knowledge Danny wouldn’t be surprised that she’s the first to notice. His parents have been more than distracted and Tucker is a bit of a blind fool, plus you really could only see a bit of one of the notches peaking out of his shirt. 

Sam looks both impressed and sad while his mom speaks a little judgingly, “a tattoo? Really Danny?”. Danny rolls his eyes, “not really”. Sam snorts so Danny tilts his head to her, “no really, it’s not really”. Now Tucker’s wheezing, “dude, you really are awful”. 

“Well, if it’s not a tattoo then what is it? If that’s even what you’re saying”, his mom is clearly still unimpressed. In a way it is a tattoo, better called a marking, stamp, symbol, or imprint though. “Times mark? I didn’t go out and get tatted”. 

Sam seems to be commenting more on Maddie’s and Jack’s slightly shocked but understanding nods, “ok? This is new. Since when are your parents getting something and we aren’t?”. 

“I’ve been explaining to them all morning, needed to fill them in on ClockWork and things just flowed from there”, Tucker nods, readily accepting this. But Danny’s pretty used to Sam not exactly liking being out of the loop, “you couldn’t text us?”. Danny glares at her humorously, “it’s not some simple thing besides, it wasn’t the time”. Sam groans and looks to Maddie, “has he been making time puns all day?”. Danny’s smiles softly, because he pretty well has been, but the topics made them not really jokes. It’s both nice and a bit sad that time jokes are going to be his thing now; and not just when his mentor was around or the subject. Maddie shrugs, “time and ClockWork have been the subject since everyone got up so maybe?”. Tucker squints at Danny, “ok? How the hell do you talk about one guy for hours? I know you have a weird thing with or for or whatever, him but that seems excessive”. Pretty well everyone glares at Tucker a judgingly. 

Sam crosses her arms at him, “Tucker, you can be an insensitive arse, you know that?”. Danny’s content to let them give Tucker shit as he takes the chance to check in with time again. Danny can’t help but start snickering as now’s definitely a good time to be a little shit and it’s best to just get on with life, or half-life in his case, at this point. Nearly all of the other ghosts were totally fine by now, they’d sure be in for a shock eventually though. Sam snaps him out of his head, “now what’s that face for and what’s so funny?”. Danny actually starts laughing now, cause he’s got a plan to enact. Smirking after he stops laughing, “oh a lot of things. It’ll make sense in time”. Smirking devilishly as he starts talking in time with his gothic friend. 

“How are you weirder?”, Sam/Danny. “Danny, what the fuck?”, Sam/Danny. Sam just glares at him now as he’s grinning like an idiot and Tucker starts wheezing. Danny flicks his eyes at Tucker as he starts speaking in time with him as his dad puts his head down and laughs into the table. “So what? Mind reader now dude?”, Tucker/Danny. Tucker squints his eyes at Danny, as both of them quickly say, “tater tots and a football eating rabbit”. This is enough to make Maddie laugh too even if Danny can tell she’s a bit weirded out. Danny waves his hand lazily at them, “ok so obviously weird shit has happened recently”. Sam mouths “what the fuck”, before turning to Danny and actually talking, “how the hell? Pretty sure you shouldn’t still be getting new powers at this point”. Tucker starts laughing a bit hard, “I think, think it’s more likely Time pants put him up to som-“, Tucker cuts himself off and blinks a bit, “oh, OH! Holy shit...dude, what, fuck, how? Should that even be...be possible?”. Danny chuckles into his hand, “what can I say, time works in mysterious ways; and ClockWork works in even more mysterious ways”.

“Pretty sure you’re the mysterious one here”, Sam is squinting and Tucker is gaping at him. “Exactly, like I said, time’s mysterious”, Danny knows that’s a bit blunt but he really couldn’t resist, besides time is him in a sense. One with, or whatever bullshit, time actualisation with the self. Though yeah the idea of fully realising time in every facet is pretty out there, true but sort of incomprehensible to regular folks. And even if his friends and family were all straight up strange, they were still regular humans really. Sam stares him down, “I call bullshit”. While his dad mouths, “wow”, before shaking his head and talking, “it took us hours to get where he was going, he actually just plain told us. You two just figured it out by a few odd comments”. Danny nods and smiles a little because really, his friends are so used to his bullshit and they’ve met ClockWork; so it’s really not surprising they’d put together the pieces. Tucker finally closes his mouth but promptly opens it back up, “well Mr. F, we’ve seen some crazy things and already knew about the time apprentice thing. Probably should have figured really”. Danny shrugs loosely, “hey, it took an Observant actually handing me a time medallion to figure that out myself”, grumbling more to himself, “still not impressed not even one of them stuck around to pay their pound. Phantom knows they owed him”. Sam crosses her arms and glares at Danny, “wow those guys are jerks but I still call bullshit. ClockWork’s job literally requires his powers so how the heck would you ge-”, Sam facepalming cuts her off. Dragging her hand down her face and pointing at his chest, “core fusion?”. Danny nods while Tucker cringes, “dude damn, ow. Dude tell me you at least had a choice in this because damn”. Sam glares hard at both the boys, “they damn well better have! I will shred them if they forced this”. 

Maddie’s eyes go wide as Danny knows she never even considered that he hadn’t had a choice, putting his hands up to pacify everyone, “they may be jerks but that would be a bit much even for them. Besides, they would rather pick pretty much anyone else, they kind of hate my shit and think I’m way overpowered, remember? Heck! They felt the need to point that out, twice”, turning his head back to his mom, “I knew what I was getting into, so don’t worry”. At his mom’s curt nod Danny turns back to his friends, looking to Tucker, “but yeah, ow’s right. But I’m fond as ever”. Both them give him a strong nod, Sam pointing at his chest, “did the look change though”. Tucker nods a little excitedly, “right! New core so?”. Tucker tilts his head a bit, “what even is your core type now?”. Danny chuckles, “it’s got a bit of a glitchy look now but that’s it and I’m still debating between time freeze and cold clock”. Tucker coughs a bit but then points aggressively at Danny, “dude! Cold clock!”. Sam nods, clearly agreeing, “makes more sense. Least that way you’re calling both aspects by the slightly incorrect name. And shirt”. Maddie just looks confused at this point and his parents haven’t actually seen his scarring. But it’s fine now, he knows. As he’s pulling off his shirt he hears his mom ask a bit worriedly, “sweetie? What does Tucker mean by ow?”. Tossing his shirt across a chair and keeping his chest facing his friends. Tucker whistles and Sam raises her eyebrows a bit judgingly, “what? You didn’t even explain that core fusion is extremely painful? That’s like one of the first things to mention”. That gets Maddie to walk around to face him, clearly unimpressed but sidetracked instantly by his chest. Putting her hand over her gaping mouth, “oh my god”. Which gets Jack to come around too, Danny explains before either can jump to their conclusions and worries, “human body plus core equals scarring. I’ve had it since the accident, it’s just different looking now because my cores changed”. Rubbing his chest, “and yeah hurt like hell. Easily the second most painful thing I’ve experienced”. Tucker nods with a frown but pats him on the shoulder, “guessing you’re still achy and shit?”. 

“What, so you’ve been a bit in pain for days?”, Danny nods at his dad with an apologetic look. Shrugging a little, “there’s nothing to really be done, so there’s no case to make a big deal of”. He knows his parents don’t really like how good with pain he is but it is what it is. And as of now, the discomfort was hardly even noticeable; didn’t even qualify as pain. 

Turning his head to eyeball the sphere and tilting his head as he checks things, catching his mom mutter, “I hope you don’t do that to spy on people”. Sam and Tucker are obviously confused but Danny smirks, glad the sphere is all settled now. Turning his head back to his friends, “guess I have a bit of a tell. Tilt my head when I’m checking time”, glancing to his mom, “it’s impossible for me not to spy, that’s like half the point. But I’m not doing it just to know what people are up to in a creepy way”. 

Tucker tilts his head, “wow so you actually have to check in all the time? Damn that must be annoying, why the heck wouldn’t you just get notified or whatever when something’s a foot”. Even Danny has to admit that would be way more convenient but in a sense he would still check in lots, checking up is just right. He needs to and rather wants to, “comes naturally, but yeah slightly annoying and irksome to actually have to intentionally check instead of it just happening on its own constantly. My human form is a bit confining in that sense”. 

“Dude what? Constantly? So what you just constantly see the future while all Phantom? That sounds like a headache and way more “confining” or whatever. Like your heads trapped in the time stream or whatever”, Tucker shakes his head, “man if that’s what ClockWork dealt with all the time, no wonder he was confusing and a little too weird”. Danny points his finger at Tucker, “hey, I resent that. ClockWork was the perfect amount of weird for me”. Danny can’t help but sigh wistfully as he shrugs, “and Tuck it’s more like everything, not just futures. And it’s more like I’m trapping time than the other way around. Existing behind my eyes and hands, to be toyed with as I please. Sure, being outside of the confines of time begets immortality but I was already in that state. And sure yeah there’s the whole confined to guard over time, the responsibility of it, but...”, Danny mutters quickly into his hand with a smirk, “time’s my bitch”. Danny can’t help but smile fondly reminded of the first time ClockWork said that. He still can’t believe he actually managed to get him drunk, replacing chess pieces with shot glasses was hilarious and who the hell was Danny going to do that with now. Cause for all of ClockWork’s high and mighty demeanour he was damn chill, could easily say he was a little shit. Even if Danny was way more of a little shit, snickering because man was he ever going to drive the Observants nutty. And not even intentionally so, though he’ll do it intentionally as well. 

Danny smirks a bit with his chin resting in his hand as his friends share a confused and judgemental look, he feels a bit distant from them right now. In a sense he is, everyone around him is confined inside glass cases of time and he’s standing, or floating, outside of it. They can see what’s in their own case but he sees every case if he so chooses. And of course they can see him, if he’s around them and their time’s moving along normally; but he can’t join any of them really. Same as they can’t truly step out of their glass cases and join him. Even if they came to exist outside of time and the time stream, that wouldn’t give them access to time’s core; to time’s true nature, the entirety of it and all that it contains. Time owns everything, life and death, every action or inaction, every choice and consequence. Shaking his head at how that really does make it oh so clear that he functionally owns everything himself then, time confines everything and time is him. 

Tucker pulls him out of his mental musings, “yeah, you’re weirder. If you start getting all philosophical riddler on us, I will hit you and mock you, aggressively. Dealing with that once was enough”. Maddie raises an eyebrow, “once? Who are we talking about?”. Sam shakes her head at Danny before looking to Maddie, “ClockWork, we’ve really only been around him once, maybe twice. He was a solitary guy”. Danny nods, “had to be, that’s how he made himself an objective viewer. I’m just objective by nature, though inclined to sympathies”. Looking to his mom somewhat sadly, “I’m really the only one who knew him remotely well. Even most ghosts only knowingly met him a few times at best”, snickering a little, “on the other hand, everyone knows me”. 

Danny picks up the containment sphere and tilts his head backward to look at the ceiling, before pointing at it and sending his intangibility telekinetically to the ceiling; phasing and floating the thermos down to him. Tucker slaps his leg excitedly, “dude! When’d you master that?”. Danny raises an eyebrow at him, “uh, the same time as I mastered literally everything else? Universal knowledge, absolute self-mastery, actualisation, yadda yadda”. 

Sam’s more concerned with the thermos than Danny’s powers, which is pretty usual. Tucker’s always been the one more excited over Danny’s abilities and of course both of them are more worried about tolerating his new weirdness than him being weird. Unlike the entire Fenton family, his friends really were quite selfish; though wonderfully loyal and protective to a fault.

Sam walks over and pokes at the thermos before shivering a little, Danny doesn’t blame her at all cause it bothered him too. Sure a large part of why is because he can’t see Dan’s future, something being outside of time, of its and thus his confines, was just wrong and definitely induces a bit of paranoia. Which really just gives him an excuse to check the timestream again, Tucker mutters at him in the process, “sudden onset habit much. But yeah, even I’d want to check literally everything before even considering doing something with Dan”. It’s pretty easy for everyone to agree there and Sam pipes up as Danny promptly shoves the containment device over the thermos, “does it seriously take that little time to check every possible future or whatever?”. 

“Sam, Dan and his thermos exist outside of time. He’s pretty well the one thing I can’t see or check. I’m just inferring possible problems based on relative futures. And I’m not exactly looking very far forwards”, he can clearly see the mild disbelief on her face, “and considering it took just a bit over one day to get the entire timestream downloaded into my head, how long or not something takes sort of doesn’t apply to me. I could spend hours on something and have it seem like seconds to others”.

“Uh, shouldn’t you have to do the whole time out, time in, thing for that to happen?”, Tucker’s watching Danny roll around the sphere as he talks rather than looking at Danny’s face. “I could do it that way sure, no one would know after all. But it’s more that time doesn’t affect me like it does everyone else. Hours, minutes, seconds, centuries, all kind of just exist simultaneously and also don’t exist at all. Around and within me”, shrugging and shrinking down the sphere to half the size of a marble, “don’t try to make sense of it, you won’t be able to. One of those, you can’t understand unless you experience and know it, sort of things”. Tucker groans, “talk about confusing”. Danny laughs and gives him a cocky smirk, “would you rather I give diversions and prophetics? Welcome to why ClockWork never really answered people’s questions. The Master Of Time is an inherently confusion inducing title to hold”. Tucker just mutters, “Phantom no”, while Danny pulls out some small purple rope and starts knotting it around the tiny sphere. Sam catches on pretty well instantly, “Uh, is it such a great idea to make him into jewellery? What with all the fighting?”. 

“Even I’d have a hard time actually destroying this thing. So it’s fine and much better than just leaving him around in my room. Plus the string’s a bit like an extra layer of confinement”, sure it’s probably going overboard at this point but it’s pretty well reasonable and he’s sure wearing a freakishly powerful and dangerous ghost as jewellery would both insult Dan and befuddle to Observants. If they even had mouths they’d be gaping at the absurdity of this. Snickering to himself, “this is the most unassuming weapon of mass destruction ever”. Tucker smirks, “limitless evil”, Tucker and Danny talk at the same time finger-gunning at each other, “itty bitty living space”. Danny chuckles, “or death space really”. Sam shakes her head, “a borderline bomb with the trappings and confines of a freaking bracelet. You’re a joke”. 

“One that’s perfectly timed and dead on arrival”

“You’re awful” 

“Ghoulishly ghastly”, Danny grins slightly, “devilishly problematic”. Everyone shakes their heads at his antics, though Danny knows they’re all happy since it shows he’s doing ok; or at least, ok enough. 

Tucker points at Danny with a rare show of seriousness, while Danny ties the rope around his left wrist, “you better make sure Dan stays trapped in there though, cause man, I’d rather hundreds of rounds of chess over him”. Danny can’t help but snort at that, “I’m weird, not nuts and I could oblige you there. Sure I could never beat ClockWork, obviously. But I’d wager to say I did pretty good”. 

“Ok, not only do you have an unfair advantage at, well, everything. But still, don’t get why you’d put yourself through that”, Tucker shivers a little bit and yeah Danny’s fondness for ClockWork is really all that made chess actually enjoyable. But it was one of the things they just sort of did together, so he’s quite content to make it a bit of a past time. Maybe he’ll be a really confusing mess and start to speed play against himself. ClockWork gifting him a rotating chess board makes a lot more sense now. Rolling his eyes at Tucker, “I’m not going to know their every move, while human anyway. So it would still be fair”. 

“I’d be curious to see, me and Mads play checkers and chess fairly often ourselves”, both Sam and Tucker glance at his parents incredulously. Even Danny understands that finding out that the excitable, and sometimes a bit foolish, Fenton parents play chess, is more than a little surprising. Chuckling a little, “well chess can be pretty boring to watch, even speed plays aren’t that great to sit around watching”. 

Danny’s a bit surprised when both his friends wave him off, Sam straight up clears off the table while Tucker rolls his eyes at Danny, “dude, chess is a ClockWork thing. Which is exactly the kind of thing to do now”. Sam smirks, “yeah make new memories with the old sort of thing”, now she just looks a bit sheepish and guilty, “besides, we never did let you show us that board you were so excited about getting from him”. 

“Well alright then, I’m quite content to spend what’s left of the day confusing you with the fact that I don’t suck at chess. Didn’t need to clear the table though”, Danny elects to go fetch it like a normal human person, while they all look slightly confused, as he walks with a small smile and hands in his pants pockets, up the stairs. 

Smiling fondly at the smooth purple oak wood, with black tourmaline and howlite tiles. Stacked on top of, honestly gravity-defying, spinnable and tiltable dark grey, with black, green and blue, Ruin Marble circles and squares. With the last square sitting on top of a piece of black stained RedWood, etched with daffodils. Compacting the neck and base into the table top before carrying it down. 

Danny smirks as Sam shakes her head, “does everything have to be purple?”. Placing the chess board down on the ground because seeing their shock at this thing folding out was too good to resist. Turning the little silver dial and covering up his snickering mouth while they watch the circles and squares fold out. Eyeing his mom as she pokes at it, “how is this even stable? And again this is extravagant”. 

Everything with ClockWork was a bit extra, which was all well and good for Danny since Danny was the same way really. “Funny enough Marble symbolises stability and structure. And this is Ruin Marble specifically, symbolising mastery of knowledge, thought and self-control”. Tapping on the base with his foot, “black RedWood for eternal death, daffodils for eternal life and rebirth”. Poking the actual board, “purple for time and oak for strength. The tiles are black tourmaline, for protection and spiritual connection with earth and zone, and howlite, for calming and selflessness”. Chuckling to himself, “howlite’s also a sleep stone which I think is just ClockWork’s way of poking fun at my horrendous sleep schedule”. 

Tucker groans, “oh and let me guess the chess pieces have some meaning too? Did he ever do anything without some deeper meaning or message”. Danny can’t help but snicker, pulling out the pieces; which outside of the lower half being either purple velvet or black velvet and the tops all being white gold, were pretty normal. 

Shaking a black one at Tucker, “pretty sure he was incapable of not being deep. White gold for eternity, indestructibility and a sacred bond between two people. Velvet is power and high status”. Danny really thinks ClockWork just likes velvet rather than having some deep reason for going with that, or it’s cause Danny’s cloak is velvet. 

Maddie sighs as she fiddles with one of the pieces, “I feel kind of bad knowing you were this close to someone I never got to meet or even hear about, until now”. And Danny does feel a little bad about not telling her, but ClockWork is, was, complicated and hard to explain. Smiling softly at her, “he was a solitary guy, humans only meet him if they absolutely have too really. But if it’s anything, he knew you both well, like he knew everyone well, and knew you’d feel this way now. He understood, and would tell you not to dwell or feel bad”.

“If he knew then couldn’t he have just shown up once instead of us never meeting him?”, Danny can tell she’s not impressed. Setting up the board as he replies, “because it wasn’t something that absolutely needed to be done. Being The Master Of Time means objectivity, while he had a soft spot for me, he really shouldn’t have been doing things just to make others lives easier. Including my own”. Danny knows that means he really shouldn’t be using future knowledge to improve his or others lives, and he doesn’t intend to. It just so happens that most things that improve his life are either necessary or the better option. Though that would depend on someone’s opinion on “improve”. 

Danny smiles a little as his mom gets on the opposite side of the board from him but clearly she’s still unimpressed. He knows she would have picked up that if ClockWork shouldn’t have then neither should he. “So what? Even if you know something bad’s going to happen to us or someone else, you have to just let it? Unless it’ll hurt time?”, Danny wishes this didn’t sound as bad as it does but he knows she’d rather unpleasant truths over lies. Sighing a little, “yes, in some situations I might even have to encourage it or make sure it does happen. ClockWork did that to me with the Dan thing. Dan existed because I got the test answers, I got the test answers because ClockWork sent a ghost form the future to fight me”. Sure it was pretty likely Danny was going to get those answers anyway but it would have been in a different way, which probably would have been bad. 

All four of them look a bit bummed now, Maddie sighs as they start the game, “I can’t say I like that”. Danny only nods, he gets it. Of course she doesn’t, why would she? But responsibility is responsibility and if he starts meddling just to make peoples lives better, including his own, that would be a nasty spiral and could only end badly. It’ll hurt when, eventually, everyone around him finally runs out their clocks but that’s natural, for humans and ghosts, and it’s not like he’ll forget any of them. 

Danny spends most of the matches pondering on the trappings and confines of his immortality and time that will run out for everyone else. 


	4. To Throw Off The Sands Of Time And Education

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Graduates got to have a bit of fun

Danny yawns as he wakes up, it’s definitely strange having his body sleep while his minds doing time shit. But while his body needs the rest he can’t just check out from time for hours on end. Rubbing his ring and patting at the chessboard before heading down for food. It’s quite impressive the amount of introspection and problem solving one can do while sitting at a simple chess board. Well, ok, his chessboard wasn’t exactly simple but whatever. 

Smiling at his mom softly as he walks into the kitchen. Knowing she’s still not too pleased with his job and feeling rather uncomfortable with all his changes, “mornin’, making eggs?”. She nods but frowns a little, “I’m sure you already knew that”. Danny sighs as he takes his seat, “don’t do that. I don’t know everything while human and even when I do know, I still want to hear about it and ask. Holding contempt or resentment over my powers isn’t good”. 

“Are you just saying that for the timeline?”, Danny can practically feel the displeasure in her voice. While he gets that his powers might be confusing and even downright frustrating for others, he would like those close to him to at least be ok with them. He can’t help but glare a little at the back of her head, “it’s rare I’d have to do anything specifically for time. I’m being genuine, my title and powers are part of me. Having disdain for part of me or any of my powers would and will never have been or be good, for any of us. Jazz would say it’s not healthy or whatever mental psychobabble”. 

Danny makes a point of not schooling his expression as she turns around and reads his face, letting her see that he’s not really pleased with her displeasure. She hands him his food after a beat and sighs, “sorry sweetie, it’s just really strange and it’s changed you. Which I know you understand and are ok with, but I think it’s fair to say everyone else doesn’t really get it”. 

“Of course, I expected no different, even before getting time powers. I figured adjusting would be difficult for everyone, what I hadn’t expected was that it would come easy to me. One thing ClockWork’s not good for is warnings”, chucking faintly as he continues, “the very first thing I even said was “fuck ClockWork, better warning needed”. And yeah I know, swearing, but I think swearing was pretty suiting at that moment”. Though she looks a bit unimpressed it’s clear she agrees, “if you ask me, you should have had full warnings beforehand”. Danny finishes off his mouthful before responding, air-quoting “Sometimes warnings are non-necessities and only serve to discourage us from doing what we must” end air quoting. Shuffling a bit, “having forewarning isn’t always that helpful and while yes I had a choice in all of this, there was no other who could do the job. But ClockWork wouldn’t have faded unless the universe itself knew I was ready and willing. Plus, I don’t always heed warnings, even ClockWork’s”. 

Putting away his dishes as he looks at the time, it’s always been a bit odd going to school with no one even having a clue who or what exactly his classmates were going to school with or his teachers teaching. Now it’ll be even more odd, before he was just the overpowered ghostly town hero. Now he was more or less a god, though he didn't exactly care to be referred to as one. Just a powerful halfa with lots of responsibilities, some just happened to be outside of other people’s understanding. Though the omniscience and omnipresence made it kind of hard to deny the god title. Chuckling, “I am probably going to freak Mr. Lancer, and every other teacher, out for the remainder of school”. 

This actually gets his mom to snort, amused, “school literally has no purpose to you, does it? You could probably teach the teachers”. She’s not wrong, heck he could make corrections to the history books. That would be a really dumb idea though. Smiling at her as he grabs his backpack, “the teaching never really did, I was always fated for this. But school carries socialisation and the creation of support networks. That’s one area where me and ClockWork differ, I don’t thrive under solitude. Fostering connections and all my bonds with people, good and bad, make me well. School does that, so there is still a purpose; it’s just a bit different”, smirking, “like everything else about me. Utterly unique and wholly different”. Catching her mutter as he walks out the door, “a little too unique and why couldn’t you just say it’s nice having friends and hanging out?”. 

Danny high fives Tucker as they sit down in class, “dude, if you don’t confuse the shit out of every teacher I will hate you. Especially since school’s almost out”. Danny rolls his eyes and mouths “duh” while sitting down. And he can’t help a mischievous smirk as Mr. Trent walks in. Though he knows this teacher won’t even care, pretty well numb to the antics of the weirdo trio. 

By fourth Danny’s pretty well amused with himself, sure he’s had to check in with time a bit excessively to make sure his fucking around was all well and good. But making Ms. Jetsin snort her tea out her nose was very very worth it. 

Smiling as his homeroom and English teacher, Mr. Lancer, comes in. He really does like the man, he’s both eccentric and wise, plus he knows how to work people. If he wasn’t so strict and pushy, they’d probably get along great. Though he does get along with him pretty well nowadays, even if Mr. Lancer did get on his ass about stuff an awful lot. That was another thing that caught him off guard, finding out just how much Mr. Lancer actually cared, especially about him. He’d have figured all the teachers would have given up on him by now, but no. 

Danny can tell that Mr. Lancer knows he’s going to be trouble today, purely by the face he pulls. “Now I know I’ll be seeing you all on you’re way soon but there’s still things this old man can teach you about the real world. So do try to pay some attention”, Danny will give him props for trying but no one really cares anymore; and Danny hardly cared to begin with. And now there’s really nothing he can learn, experiences is all he’s got to gain. 

Danny pretends to be having a nap while Mr. Lancer goes on about philosophy essays. Hearing how people interpret things that don’t have solid answers was much more amusing now, since it was actually possible for someone to come up with something he hasn’t heard before. While human anyway, otherwise he’d know their opinion before they even thought it. Unlike biology or history, all that stuff was old news to him. Heck, he knew it before it even became human knowledge or happened. 

Smirking slightly as Mr. Lancer finally calls on him, “since you seem to find this tiring, Mr. Fenton, care to provide an interesting take on belonging to the world rather than a country and living without excess?”. Danny can’t help but snort, kind of ironic to ask that of the guy who couldn’t have loyalties to a specific country. “I can’t claim to ascribe to stoic cosmopolitanism personally, but viewing humanity as one central state to belong to is quite logical, if a bit obvious. Of course all humans ought to feel endearment towards humanity as a whole, otherwise humanity would be much more actively self-destructive”, really the only reasons Danny doesn’t view himself as in the community of humanity is the whole halfa thing and his job. That kind of required viewing himself as outside of every community, making himself in community with only himself. Though free to mingle with others.

Lifting his head up and lazily resting it on his palm as he continues, while half the class looks completely lost and are actually paying attention to him purely out of mild shock. Most having never heard him give more than couple word answers or just not having an answer at all, “and the idea of excess is so beyond relative that it’s almost not worth pondering, but Diogenes’s idea of excess is quite extreme. While sure using your hands to drink water instead of a bowl and forgoing shoes, can make you feel connected with nature; intentional inconvenience for the sake of minimalism is, in and of itself, excess in a way”, twirling his hand in the air, “further, ascribing meaning and values to things is innate in the behaviour of nearly all sentient beings. So to live with nothing would be rather unhealthy, unless you make that nothing your everything. Which I’m sure is what he did, having nothing was his niche. So his opinion was not exactly objective”. Smirking slightly as he decides he’s just going to keep rambling until someone speaks up, “don’t say I blame him for picking a staff and cloak of all things to keep and be attached to. It’s very easy to be pragmatic with such tools”. 

Continuing to speak over Tucker’s snort, “though living with excess of material goods is definitely debilitating and reduces the worth and attachments you can have drastically. In the same way as things gain value in rarity so too does the personal value of what you have grow with scarcity. But going so scarce as to live in pottery instead of owning a home is just plain absurd, if a bit amusing”. Tapping at his chin, “Diogenes was an all-around absurdist really, too bad none of his work survived; I’m certain it would have been highly entertaining for you all. Well, for people who care for unusual eccentrics anyway. People are far more content to write down all their weird musings than actually act on them, so imagine the utter abnormality of the writing from a guy who peed on people, plucked a chicken for a joke and walked backwards just to confuse people? He may have been against excess and belonging to a group of one or a small community, but his personality was his excess and being that odd makes you one against all”. 

Chuckling, “definitely not a good portrayal of humanity, quite misleading actually. You’d think ascribing to and pretty well creating the idea of humans all belonging to humanity, would make someone more, well, average”. Danny leans back and yawns as he can tell Mr. Lancer’s going to speak up now, “well Mr. Fenton, you clearly saved your most baffling behaviour till the end. As half of that even I did not quite get. However, I’m inclined to agree. Humans are materialistic by nature and I doubt we are that way for no reason”. Danny can’t help but laugh into his hand as Mr. Lancer addresses the rest of the class, “after that I think it might actually be embarrassing to call on anyone else, so we’ll move on”. 

Mr. Lancer drones on about linguistics and symbolism’s, while Star kicks Danny’s seat. Talking to him as he turns to her, “who are you and where’s the out of the loop oddball that only gets called on to embarrass?”. Smirking slightly at her, “he’s a little extra dead and flaunting it. I’m weirder than you all know, but there’s no point in not being so in our final few days of school”. 

Catching Mr. Lancer point at him from the corner of his eye, looking both slightly excited and scared, “Mr. Fenton, since you seem to be actually talkative today. What do you think of the difficulties of learning a new language but how it makes it so people more readily spot symbolism in their lives?” 

Tilting his head a bit before deciding he’s going to build up to being utterly baffling, “well besides the obvious of it getting harder with age. Aged brains just simply don’t pick up as easily and your first is always the easiest. Besides we’re all surrounded by our mother tongues, not the case with a second language. Though the idea of universal grammar in human DNA is a pretty darn absurd take on the ease with which we learn our first language”, shrugging loosely, “but speaking multiple languages improves nearly every aspect of the brain, so it’s expected that someone would recognise symbolism more effectively and have greater appreciation for it”. Flicking his finger at the abstract painting of an Arbutus tree and Ash tree, “you could argue, someone frequently using and recognising symbolism is enough of precursor for being bilingual. And yes it is a bit on the nose to have the image of an Arbutus tree, for depth or knowledge, and Ash tree, for mental growth and connection; inside a classroom”. Sure him guessing at Mr. Lancer knowing multiple languages isn’t really a guess, as he knows that man speaks four. Smiling slowly Danny speaks in a language he knows Mr. Lancer knows and then repeats himself in ghost speak just to confuse, “obwohl die symbolik ziemlich amüsant ist. Æłthœügh thę ßÿmbõłįßm įß qūïtę åmüßįñg”. 

Mr. Lancer coughs, effectively caught off guard, but has a playful glint in his eyes, “wo hast du überhaupt deutsch gelernt? Das wird hier nicht gelehrt. Ich bin mit der anderen Sprache, die Sie verwendet haben, nicht vertraut”. Smirking back at his teacher, “expected, helping my parents build a translator for ghost speak rather required learning their language. And you’d be surprised the things you pick up when travelling, see I’m a rather memorious or you could say semi-eidetic memory”. Shrugging at his unimpressed teacher while Dash speaks up, “so you’re even more of a freak?”. Danny can’t help but be amused at how right Dash is but he doesn’t even get a chance to respond as Star turns to him, “what even is eyedeckit”. 

Smiling softly at her, “I learn fast and have nearly flawless memory. I just don’t really focus effort on schooling so it doesn’t show”. Technically he’s not even lying, he’s always had a quick learning ability. Just now it was universal and instantaneous knowledge instead but he couldn’t exactly say that. And going with photographic memory would be a little too suspicious, heck no one’s even really been confirmed to even have that. Mr. Lancer looks even more unimpressed but doesn’t get to comment on that, as the bell goes off. 

He does, however, ask Danny to stay. Rubbing his neck awkwardly, “yeah I know, I should care more about my schooling. Things happen and not everyone’s priorities rest in the same vein. Furthered education really isn’t in my playbooks, so just enough to graduate is where my caring ends”. Mr. Lancer sighs, “you’re barely managing that, when it’s apparent you could easily be near or even surpass your sister. I hope whatever you are focused on is worth the intellect but I still think you should strive for more”. Danny does wish he had more time in the past to actually study and learn. He’s not exactly proud of the poor grades, but his place as protector and, now, job as Overseer of the timestream, took precedence. Smirking slightly as he rubs his ring, “my new job requires it actually and yes it’s very much worth both the intellect and the brutalised academic standing”. Danny makes sure his pride is clealy palpable which Mr. Lancer responds to positively, “then I’m glad, a student filling into a satisfactory and fulfilling life is the best a teacher could ever wish for. I guess my worry over you has been rather misplaced, but for that I am proud”. 

“You’re worries been highly appreciated, the concern and meddlings of others in my life has been and is justified, not to mention gratifying. How else would I have been aware of available support networks?”, Danny can’t help but smile as Mr. Lancer nods fondly at him before shooing him off to lunch. Danny really does like the guy and making Mr. Lancer feel like he did some good and affected Danny positively, was more than pleasing to Danny; and he knew Mr. Lancer would sleep very well tonight. 

Tucker slaps Danny on the back as he sits down for lunch, “dude that was great, no damn clue what you were talking about but oh my god”. Danny smirks, “just a guy with a minimalism kink who doesn’t believe in people calling themselves Americans or Canadians. That, and knowing many languages makes you smarter”. 

Sam smirks, “well, we all know at least two so yay for our brains”. Tucker pokes at Danny, “dude, you talked for a solid ten minutes and just summed it all up in, maybe, two sentences. Your mind is officially terrifying”. Danny shrugs playfully, he’s not exactly wrong. 

Danny’s in the middle of going on about half-angle trigonometry, which wasn’t even how he was supposed to solve this equation, when his ghost sense goes off, “can’t really say how doing it this way would ever be useful though. Anyway, I’ll be back or more than likely not”. The one good thing about this going on for four years is that practically none of the teachers cared or were surprised anymore. 

Stretching lazily as he gets up, speed walking to the bathroom. Pulling off his white belt before transforming, forgoing the cloak and staff, then putting the belt back on to cover his clocks, before flying through the ceiling. He could throw on white gloves to cover his hourglasses but he’s got a joke to make and Skulker is the perfect target. 

Floating over to Skulker with his hands behind his head and smiling devilishly, “can’t say I’m surprised you’re the first one to officially get back to business”. 

“Always whelp! I’ve got a pelt to pouch”, Danny easily avoids the harpoon as he changes to his ghostly tail. Skulker clearly notices his far more erratically and energetically pulsating tail; looking more like glitching static rather than loose waving. “You are in good health and power it would seem, makes for a finer pelt!”, Danny can easily read the genuine concern there, even if Skulker voices his worry about his well-being rather oddly. Suitable behaviour for a ghost though, if he got that from a human he might actually be concerned. 

“Oh you have no idea, all’s well with time”, Danny fully knows Skulkers frowning because you’re not really supposed to make references to faded ghosts so blatantly so soon and he knows the triple meaning was majorly lost, he doesn’t really care though. 

Avoiding another shoot from Skulker as he slinks up behind him, punching him clean in the gut, sending him into a wall. Chuckling, “you’ve been hit by, you’ve been struck by, the smooth sands of time”. Danny can’t help but laugh exaggeratedly at Skulker incredulously sticking his arms out and pointing at his hands, “your pelts changed?! And not in a Phantom way!”. 

Wiping at his eyes, “time always makes its modifications! But it is so very Phantom, the Phantom of times future”. Now Skulker is crossing his arms, “okay what’s going on here? You’re never this bad”. Waving Skulker off, “I’ve been saving them up, built quite the repertoire. And really, how could I not? But hey, you get to be the first one I hit with the unyielding stick of time”. Skulker just throws his hands up before going after Danny again. 

Danny lets Skulker get his blade less than a centimetre in front of his face before teleporting, with the usual hands of time portal, behind him. Skulker spins around to face the cockily grinning Danny, “did you just teleport? And in that manner?”. Danny grins wider, “and I’d say I timed it pretty well, though I planned that out days ago. But don’t worry, it’s not that you’re predictable, more that surprising time is rather impossible”. 

Spotting Skulker’s slightly wary stance, Danny decides now’s the time to really shock him. Phasing off the belt seconds before letting the purple transformation rings spring out to form his cloak and staff, grinning wide, “it’s both impressive and a little sad that none of you realised I was times apprentice. Time’s my bitch now”. Danny takes Skulker’s stunned shock to quickly fly up and full force slam him on the side of the head with his staff. Chuckling as he floats down to the decapitated helmet, “in time, time beats them all”. Picking Skulker up by one of his tiny green legs, while Skulker gapes, “I could have kept going and you would have figured it out, in time. But this was more fun, so in case this isn’t obvious”, Danny shakes his time staff which Skulker glances at, “I'm the new Master Of Time, always was going to be. But well, only time knew that. Oh and don’t worry, all my little scuffles will continue to be more or less fair. I’m just flaunting now as a more humorous way to reveal my graduation from apprentice to master”. Skulker’s high pitched voice is clearly more than just startled, “so that, that’s what that Observant wanted with you. I’ll still have your pelt whelp, but take the advice; you’re not him so don't try to be. Time Master or not”. Danny has no intention of copying his faded Master but he knows no one really knew just how alike they were. Smiling loosely, “I don’t have to try, we’re birds of a feather; scarily similar actually. I’m just not so solitary and slightly more of a joke. In regards to the outfit, he made both himself”. 

Danny knows full well what Skulker’s about to say but there’s no way he can’t laugh his ass off as Skulker speaks, “he was no jokester ghostchild! Handled everything with serious composure”. Putting Skulker down on a rooftop as he bends over wheezing, “he was a good seventy percent jokes! We had prank wars! Got him drunk off of chess! Half the reason he was so confusing was because he found it insanely funny!”. Whipping at his eyes and bending down to be more on level with the tiny ghost, “his name, like mine, was a literal pun, dude. He fought with a scythe purely to be extra and used symbolism out the wazoo. He was a massive jokester, just a sneaky one”. 

Pulling out and shaking the thermos, “now hold your tongue so I can have my, it’s the Time Master bitch!, moment”, smirking, “and the Observants were right, I am going to be just as insufferable to them as he was”. 

He can tell Skulker’s confused but he doesn’t really care, as he sucks him in. 

The rest of the school day goes more or less the same as the morning. Danny isn’t surprised no other ghosties showed but could anyone really blame him for hoping? Yawning and stretching lazily while a good portion of the school gawks at him as he heads home. 

Walking inside and poking his head into the kitchen; while knowing full well that Skulker won’t hold his tongue for more than a day and was having a mild freakout, “you probably shouldn’t hold supper for me, it’s time for the new Master Of Time to be known. Could go long, could go short; see how I feel like playing it”. Clearly, his mom’s feeling better as she reaches up to ruffle his hair some, “Ghost Zone I’m assuming? And anyone would know I’d prefer you make it short”.

“Of course mom, on both accounts. But I’ll see. Taking things fast usually isn’t the best option when dealing with startling things or talking to large crowds”, her sigh makes it clear she understands and agrees. “Oh, and school was very amusing, for me anyway, bemusing for everyone else though. Well, Mr. Lancer was tickled pink actually, but he’s weird”. Maddie snorts, “I’m glad you impressed your teacher, especially that one; he genuinely cares about you”. Danny smiles warmly as he heads out the kitchen, confusing his mom unintentionally, “uh, I thought you were heading out right off the bat?”. 

Summoning out his staff and responding only slightly confused, “yup, why?”. She sticks her head out and glares a little but relents at his raised eyebrow, “did I actually confuse you? Wow okay. It’s just that the labs down the other way”. Danny chuckles as he facepalms, dragging his hand down his face and letting it fall to the side before responding, “I’m just going to make my own portal. That’ll get me where and when I need to be. And yes I can still get confused or miss stuff, at least while I’m human. I’m only omniscient and omnipresent when I’m in ghost form. My awareness and knowledge is optional while human, well, sort of. It’s complicated”. Now his mom actually looks intrigued and excited, smirking at her, “yeah you can watch”. 

Danny knows the staff spinning is really not necessary but it’s very extra and thus worth it. Tapping his staff on the ground to bring a little more attention to it before rather dramatically swirling it, catching his mother say, “more clock imagery?”. 

Smiling at the mirror in his clocktowers bedroom after pulling down his hood and ruffling his hair. Tilting his head back to look out one of the windows, “getting a lair as a graduation gift is a bit extra but it is nice to have a true home here”, before it had just been sort of a home, like being a permanently invited guest; now it was his. 

Floating out into the main room, it’s probably a little odd he hasn’t been back since getting his new role and powers. All the gears and swinging clock bits are a pretty heavy reminder and he fully intends to leave ClockWork’s scythe exactly where it is, Danny does have some shame after all. Using a scythe is too on the nose even for him and that was all ClockWork’s thing, while Danny’s got his thermos. Plus, unlike ClockWork, Danny has real offensive powers. Heck, his clawed gloves were probably as sharp as the scythe. 

Sighing before turning to the screens, making them display different sections of the zone. Chucking hollowly at Skulker debating with himself over whether it was even a sane idea to try and skin the guy who controls and protects time. Danny thinks it’s a pretty sane thing for a ghost to do, because really he was just even more of a prize now; and Skulker’s got an obsession to follow. Besides, it’s not like Danny really minds anymore, the witty banter and sparing is his bread and butter. Skulker’s one of the best to trade blows with, even if it will all be less exciting now. 

Chuckling more genuinely now as he sends a little paper airplane note through the viewing screen turned portal. Watching as Skulker yelps and reads out loud, “don’t fret about it, tinman. It’s all in good fun, for me anyway. Hover about the Gathers Colosseum if you wanna watch me freak some ghosts out”. Smirking at Skulker looking around incredulously before flying out his clocktower. 

Pulling up his hood all the way and closing the cloak before becoming visible while sitting on one of the damaged pillars. Only smiling as a couple of ghosts around jerk in surprise at his sudden return to visibility. Following Johnny’s bike with his eyes as it jerks to a stop, Danny knows the cloak plus gear clasp will instantly make pretty well everyone think ClockWork for a second before realising the colour’s wrong. And that’ll be enough for them to make the connection that this black cloaked figure is the new Master Of Time; seeing as time couldn’t exactly go without a master. They’ll assume he’s a brand new ghost or someone who was in the clocktower but never left. Sure, quite a few had seen his cloak at the afterdeath ceremony but his hood was down, effectively covering the gear clasp, and his hood was rounded and snug before; now it was long, pointy and zig-zagged. Plus, no one was exactly focused on his clothing that day. 

Smiling softly under his hood as an older ghost, Brextik, is the first to approach him, “so you finally make your presence known, young Time Master”. Chuckling faintly, “I’ve been around. Pestering occasionally and basking in the afternoon sun”. Brextik only looks confused for a second before smiling warmly, “well, you are certainly he. May we know your name?”, at this point there’s a fair amount of ghosts around but not quite enough. He’s aiming to tell practically everyone in one fell swoop, “oooo, antsy are we? Just wait out the clock sometime. But”, Danny pauses just to be a bit of an ass, “there is one who already knows here. They’ll hold their tongue though, not that that’s going to discourage you”.

Unsurprisingly, that effectively gets most of the gathered ghosts to start pestering each other and Danny can see Skulker groan as he hides away from everyone. Of course, the commotion draws in more ghosts, all having varying degrees of reactions to his presence. Some excited, some cautious, some even look insulted or angry, the ones that draw his attention most of the ones that glare disapprovingly and turn their backs to him. A clear show of how Danny’s not going to take ClockWork’s place, which Danny doesn’t aim to. That’s why he couldn’t become The Master Of Time right away, he had his own ghostly shoes to fill. Had to establish himself outside of the shadow of ClockWork, else he’d never stand on his own and would have busied himself with the impossible task of filling ClockWork’s shoes. Trying to be just like him and fulfil the same role in everyone’s (after)lives that he did. Not to mention, filling the role of protector amongst humans is what moulded him into being so selfless. Plus, also forged a close bond and connection with humanity, so he would be equally tied to both worlds and species. 

Smiling as Ember finally arrives and eyes Walker accusingly, before even looking to the black cloaked figure. He finds it amusing that Walker’s one of the ones to turn his back to him. Especially knowing why, smirking as he floats lazily in-front of the white-suited ghost; who promptly turns the other direction. 

The two go back and forth like this for a bit, with Danny floating in front of Walker and Walker turning away, before Walker glares at him as he floats in front of him again, “Phantom better be the one who knows who you are, those two were close and I have nothing but respect for how he acted those days ago. The least you could do, newcomer, is honour that respect and behaviour. Even if it’s not a rule”. Danny chuckles lightly, be pretty sad if he hadn’t been the first non-omnipresent ghost to know. Sighing faintly, “he knew when you saw him last, walking tall and proud with a makeshift funerary flag in his hands and a time medallion in his pocket”. Walker eyes him suspiciously but Danny doesn’t give him much of a chance to ponder as he teleports back to his broken pillar. Curling his energetic tail around the pillar, peeking the bottom of his staff out the side of his cloak and letting it hang there for a bit before pulling the whole thing out, with his hand coming into view to everyone in the process. Swinging it down to bop a younger ghost, who’s a little too handsy, on the head. 

He’ll give Brextik props for being so pushy, guy really wants to be the first to get a good look at the new Time Master. Danny elects to satisfy him in a way, lifting his other hand out of his cloak to flick time sand out his pointer finger at the old ghosts ghostly tail, which promptly freezes in time. Brextik clearly is impressed and shocked but is trying to not show it. And Danny forces himself not to laugh as he overhears a couple of ghosts muttering about how he’s got more powers and thus, obviously more powerful. 

Danny discretely calls “time out”, as he catches Ember giving the, now found, Skulker a disbelieving but knowing look. While Skulker just looks apologetic and startled. Floating over to stick his head between theirs, “time in”, smirking as both of them jump. He knows that pretty well every ghost knows that him “teleporting” without a teleportation portal meant he had fiddled with time. 

Chuckling lightly as Ember pokes at, but doesn’t dare move, his hood, “it’s been a few days but I’m certain your fashion-forward mindset won’t hold the initial reactions of disapproval towards a change in forms”. Now Skulker looks even more embarrassed while Ember just looks impressed, “of course it would be you, you over-sized weirdo”. 

Danny smirks, muttering just to them “well, duh”, before flying upside down and flipping to land on the back seat of Johnny’s bike. Johnny gapes from the driver's seat and Kitty from the handlebars, it was nice to see they were in a good mood towards each other; actually behaving like the lovebirds they are. Danny switches to his legs and crosses them, the whites of his boots visible under the bottom of the cloak. “I’d say sounding alike is quite expected. Knowledge begets wise words and truly understanding what confuses others make someone rather confusing themselves. Oh, and by the way, it was time for the true Master Of Time so the guider and keeper of the role had to take his leave. Somethings and beings exist to mould and maintain till the rightful owner comes along”, he knows even the Observants didn’t properly understand just what ClockWork’s role had been, and it’s unlikely anyone other than the two beings of time ever could. 

Johnny stammers a bit, “so you’re, saying, the oddball we’ve all been picking fights with, was the true Overseer of time?”. 

“A responsibility to watch over time of both worlds could only be fulfilled by a being of both worlds. A title that requires self-sacrifice and attentiveness, falls in line with the very nature of any who truly take up the mantle of hero and protector. And I’ve always been protecting both”, Danny takes this as the time to push back his hood by running his right hand through his hair. Ears flicking out as the hood rests in its natural spot just behind his ears, while he smirks playfully at the couple. 

Turning his head to the crowd at hearing their gasps, pushing down a laugh at the mutterings of how they wouldn’t believe this if they hadn’t just seen him use his time powers. Which is precisely why he hid who he was and he can tell Skulker realises that’s the main reason he was told to hold his tongue. Smiling softly, “I’m still to go by Phantom but yes, I’m the new Master Of Time. I’ve been times apprentice for years, I’ve simply self-actualised into my rightful place now”. 

Switching to his tail and floating back to the broken pillar, smirking with a playful glint in his eyes, “the clocktower is my lair now, I will know, of course, if any of you show up there for whatever reasons you may have. I expect that the same formalities will still apply to only paying visit to there in times of requirement, so I will show if you arrive at my door”. Danny continues after nearly everyone nods very noticeably and at spotting most of those who’ve picked fights with him looking guilty and like they’re about to get scolded, “oh and for those of you who’ve made an opponent of me, don’t waste effort on worrying about anything to do with that. It helped me to become who I needed to be and it is thoroughly enjoyable. I’ll continue to be relatively fair in future skirmishes. Besides, even before you could never have really won or destroyed me”. 

With a massive toothy grin, “I’ve been immortal for nearly all of my existence as a halfa”. Danny grins a bit wider at the shock on basically everyone and Skulker throws his hands up dramatically. Which Danny is thoroughly amused by, since getting his pelt would require Skulker actually killing him. Thus Skulker pretty well just found out his efforts had been in vain. Though Danny knows the guy does actually enjoy the sparring, so he’ll keep showing up to fight. 

He spends well over an hour getting peppered with questions before most ghosts leave. Johnny, Kitty and Walker stick around, with Johnny walking up to, the still perched, Danny, “well man, you being a confusing mess from the get-go makes way more sense now”. Kitty nods, “yeah, Plasmius always made sense even if he’s more of a human. You’re a ball of odd that just got odder”. She smiles softly before continuing and Danny matches that smile, “but if anyone should do this job, you do make the most sense for it. Calling you selfless might be an understatement, even your selfish actions aren’t really selfish. Same goes for protective”. Danny only nods as of course she’s right. Before turning his head to Walker, encouraging him to speak what he knows the man wants to, “the rules really don’t apply to you, so it would seem, we have no quarrel now. You rank above me anyway”. 

Danny chuckles a little, “my very existence defied the laws of reality from the start. Now there isn’t one natural law that can even be considered to apply to me. There was never really any jail that could hold me, not even the confines of time and the supposed inevitability of mortality”. Johnny groans a bit and points at him, “you talking like that is still creepy”. 

Sticking his tongue out at the biker, “you try having all of time inside you and not sound like an eccentric compilation of insight and knowledge”. Kitty shrugs loosely, “no one really gives any thought to time powers, Phantom”. Which Danny knows is honestly for the best, dealing with a couple of humans trying to wrap their heads around it was hassle enough. Switching to his legs and hoping off the pillar, sending away his staff and crossing his arms lightly, “best keep it that way, you can’t understand it. But, bless their hearts, some humans are trying”. Sighing, “well anyway, I’ve got supper to eat since someone didn’t take my advice on not saving me some”. All three of them snicker, before Kitty hops back on Johnny’s bike and they speed off, Johnny two-finger waving as they go. 

Danny turns to Walker, “once what you’re about to do would have very much confused me, so I guess take some amusement in that”. Walker sighs but he does smile, which pleases Danny, before handing Danny three gold rifle shell casings each engraved with gears and cypress flowers, filled with purple liquid gold. Danny honestly likes that it’s not perfect and all the little crinkles in the gold, plus he will admit to being impressed with Walker over the symbolism. 

Smiling as he rolls the shell casings in his fingers, “the meanings here would have been lost on me before and I never did peg you for a military man before. Seems obvious now”. Danny knows Walker actually researched symbolism rather than knowing this beforehand, excluding the three-volley shell casings anyway. He can read the slight and heavily veiled embarrassment on Walkers' face, “he was a man of meanings so meanings were required. You shocked me back then and such a behaviour is done by two people, not one, so consider me an honour guard for that”. Danny nods respectfully and he knows that Walker’s aware that the meaning doesn’t need to be explained. But Danny does startle the man by teleporting home directly in front of him.

Appearing back in his human bedroom, sighing at the shell casings. The gears meaning would be obvious to literally everyone, same with the purple. Gold for wisdom and a strong bond, with the cypress flowers for death. Plus, Danny likes to think the crinkled look of the purple gold represented how time doesn’t exist or flow smoothly for a Master Of Time. Putting the casings on the prior fabric and patting them before heading down to eat. 

He doesn’t really blame his parents for wanting to stay up, blatantly curious about how things went, since what he did was pretty well like a graduation ceremony; just for one and done oddly. Wearing a body covering gown, cloak in his case, talk some to a crowd and throw off your hat, hood in his case. Ending everything off with mingling and congratulations. 

Sticking his head into the kitchen, “I’m back and yes things went smoothly. Also yes, caused mass confusion and shock”. Both them nod at him while Maddie heats his food back up, Jack pats his shoulder as he sits down, “well, you were already well known as Phantom so that’s expected. But are you going to make this job of yours public to the town too?”. While the reaction would be humorous, that would be a bad idea. A large portion of humanity already disliked how powerful they believed ghosts to be, him especially, making the overwhelming power ghosts were capable of really known was bad. Currently, there’s no chance of humanity even remotely accepting one ghost having the power he did. A god sure, but they wouldn’t see him as a god and he didn’t want them to; that would also be bad. Humanity still needed major work on accepting ghosts before they should be allowed to even slightly grasp how ghosts really are. 

Shaking his head at his dad, “no, the only humans to know are the ones who already do. Well, for now”. Maddie raises her eyebrow at the last bit as Danny starts mixing his food up, “so like being a halfa this is a secret too. Well, can you at least tell us when it’s going to become public knowledge?”. Danny frowns and sighs, “it’s a very long time away”. Just judging by how she frowns, she understands that he means they’ll be long gone before then, as she quietly mutters, “oh”. 

The next few days are relatively normal, Danny being a startlingly intelligent and all-knowing bastard at school, occasional ghost fights where his opponents get confused by his lack of using his time powers, and both intentionally and unintentionally confusing the people close to him. 

Danny smirks down at his red grad gown, flicking at the black tassel. He’s come to see both red and blue as representing his human half, with green for his ghost half, so it’s hard to not find the red amusing. “What you looking like that for, Fentit? Stunned stupid the local freak actually graduated?”, Danny honestly was, sort of, he kind of hadn’t expected to since he was fifteen. Way too much time taken up by ghost stuff, wasn’t quite so bad for his friends; even if their grades had suffered some too. Least they never failed shit. 

Rolling his eyes at Dash, “that never even mattered, Dash. Red’s just an interesting colour”, Danny grins devilishly which promptly makes the jock scurry off, looking to avoid Danny assaulting his ears. The guy really wasn’t much of a bully to him anymore, which shocked no one really with Danny being taller than his dad and rather muscular. Being mentally hard to handle just deterred the man even more. Though Danny does feel a little bad that Dash was right about life being kind of a let down for him once Highschool was over. High school really was Dash’s golden years. Even if there was so many ways that guy’s future could go. 

Turning around to smirk at Tucker, who looks even more scrawny and short in the large gown and Sam, who’s gown barely fits over her eccentric, and extremely expensive, dress. Funny enough, all of them had expensive clothing, far more expensive than even what Paulina wore; which she was both confused and annoyed by. Tilting his head back to wear all their parents were before looking at Sam, “I’m still amazed your parents actually paid for all this shit”. 

“They just wanted you all to make me look good, some bullshit about the people around me needing to be in the finest else it’ll tarnish me”, Sam rolls her eyes exaggeratedly and Danny’s glad they’ve all gotten over pointing out or being bugged by him knowing everything already. He did actually prefer to just be told, a little bit of normalcy was nice. 

The ceremony is, expectedly, boring; but Danny smiles as it’s his turn on stage. The principal clearly still hates him as she just glares while shaking his hand, but Mr. Lancer is straight up beaming, “never thought I’d get to do this young man, but I’m glad I can”. Danny nods with a mischievous smile, as they shake hands, “and I knew you would, you’ll never have another quite like me though”. 

Sitting back down, he can’t help but smile proudly when Valerie gets her diploma as well, he was a bit worried about her actually graduating. Her grades got nearly as brutalised as his did, and they were very much friends. It was a bit sad to him that she could never know about who he really was or that Phantom had time powers. He’d honestly always hoped to tell her eventually, but that was one dream he had to give up. 

That’s the thing with graduating, while you move on and grow into bigger roles, you have to leave somethings behind. Sometimes it’s experiences you’ll never get to have at all or again, sometimes it’s friends and lovers, sometimes it’s hopes and dreams, and other times it’s all the possible futures that might have just been better. But no one could ever really know if they were living one of the better futures for sure, except The Master Of Time. And he knew there could never be anything better or more wonderous for him, than the existence he’s graduated into. 


	5. And Times Little Slideshow Comes To End, Only To Start Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny’s had all of time to tell his personal ghost story

—the future—

Danny smiles fondly as he closes his mouth, looking out over the gathered crowd, some here physically others viewing through the surrounding floating screens. Danny pats affectionally at his chest while sitting atop a black and white podium, ghostly tail curled around it as he finishes his story. The story of how the weird little halfa became The Master Of Time. 

It’s been a long time since then, though it feels so very different to him. Recalling it like it was yesterday and also seeing it like it would come to pass tomorrow. 

In all that time humanities views, not only of him but ghosts, had changed so very much; as he knew they would. 

Pointing at one of the raised hands, “so you really are a god then? Just a ghostly one?”. Danny still doesn’t care for the god term, while he was separate, and needed to be viewed as such, from everyone else; being viewed as a god was a little too separating. He wanted and needed reverence, not devotion. Smiling slightly, “while I may possess many qualities you ascribe to godhood, I don’t claim the title. I am very much one of you, a human. Not some grand being beyond you. My humanity simply exists differently and my state of self-access to things beyond. I walk amongst you a regular civilian, as I always have and will continue to. I tell you this now as it’s come to the time for me to be truly known to you. For you to understand that it is more than just earth itself I protect and stand guard over”. It really hadn't taken humanity as a whole very long to come to view Phantom as the Human Realms protector, though many falsely believed he simply protected this realm from ghostly threats. It had taken longer for them to understand that he actually protected the Ghost Realm as well. Even longer still, to accept and like that. 

Now it had been a few years since he’d become universally viewed as earths protector, keeper of both Realms and respected as such. Sure the two species still had their skirmishes and didn’t exactly get along, but that was expected. Heck, even he still got into sparring matches with both ghosts and humans. Two things so utterly different and in states that really shouldn’t be able to coexist, but yet do in him, could never truly exist in complete peace. But they did exist in harmony now, which was enough. 

He smiles warmly at all the nodding heads and faces, slipping off the podium to float upright as one of the world leaders turns to him, “so what title is it that you hold, if not that of a god?”. 

“Guardian remains suiting enough. Guardian of Earth and of Time. My title amongst ghosts is The Master Of Time or Time Master. But even they call me by Phantom. So Phantom is who I am, any further titles are simply embellishments”, no one knows what he looks like as a human, or more specifically they don’t know that the human they know is actually Phantom. Even with the knowledge of halfas, no one seems to make the connection, and how could they? The idea that someone you know is some powerful otherworldly and unfathomably old being, is so absurd that no one would even consider it. 

The old leader nods as he brings forth a purple high-status crown, three separate swirling bands of purple light with white rimming on the top and bottom of each. Danny stills his ghostly tail enough to let the two reverence guards slide it to float around his tail, below the three blue and green ones, before they stand stiff and salute him. Danny telekinetically moves the three purple bands to make it so there’s a pattern. Purple, first because his place as Master Of Time comes above everything else; then blue/green, purple, blue/green, purple, and the last blue/green an inch or so above the tip of his tail. 

Most people wore any status crowns they had, to mark important jobs or achievements, floating around their arms, but his tail was the only place where they would not hinder him. He never really used legs as a ghost anymore, far more comfortable to have a tail. 

Only ghosts got crown bands that glowed, though the blue part of the bands that marked him as Earths protector didn’t glow. A sign of his halfa state. Just the same, having three bands was only for the highest ranked of a position, most who did have bands only had one. Danny only knew of a few people who would forgo wearing their bands, himself included while human. 

A couple of people chuckle over his rearranging of the bands, he really was being extra and him thinking about style is very humanising to them. Which is exactly why he did so publicly. “For someone so powerful and with so many responsibilities you sure don’t take things seriously”, pretty well everyone is quick to agree. Danny smiles devilishly, he did take all this seriously just with a thick coating of humour, “time’s a funny thing, and I’m a funny man. Burdens will crush you if not handled with light comfort. And a perpetually humoured demeanour and way of thinking is a near weightless level of comfort. Far more than the sweet embrace of everafter that I will never know and that will always be my greatest joke”. 

Danny floats off thinking about how it was rather amusing that there had come to be a universal term for when someone stopped existing. Sure many humans still said “death”, and many ghosts “fading”, but for anything official or public “everafter” was used. And it amused him even more that this word existing and being accepted as the proper norm, was what finally sealed the deal of the harmony between his two worlds. Meaning there was one less secret to keep. 

Smiling fondly and waving at people as he flies by them, pleased at how they don’t and won’t treat him different. His presence has become so normalised to humanity as a whole that there was very little he could do to change the ways they treated him. Habit is a powerful thing, especially when it was one every human was surrounded by from the day they’re born. Pretty well every household had a charm of Earths Guardian. His symbol, a flaming DP inside a gear, was everywhere really. 

Teleporting back to Amity and leaving the visible spectrum before anyone notices his presence, funny thing about his teleporting, time always stopped for a bit just before and after; unless he forced it not to, of course. 

In Amity his symbol was even more popular, it was practically one of the pride and joys of the city; and rightfully so. It was, and still is, his home town after all. The whole freaking place was his lair and that was common knowledge, though he wasn’t here even a tenth as much as he used to be. 

Back in human form, Danny chuckles as he makes his way to Fenton Works. Of course he left out real names while telling his tale, he did have a human secret life to keep quiet. It was a bit funny how Phantom used to be his secret life and identity, now Danny Fenton was. Though he generally went by his middle name, James, now, and no humans actually knew his human last name. 

Ruffling up his purple dyed hair as he sighs at the Fenton Works sign, he does wish his parents had been around for all of this but that’s in the past. Besides, Jazz’s many times' great grandson was here now, though he didn’t know his secretive otherworldly uncle as anything other than a human family friend who worked as a relations director between humans and ghosts. Danny had found it utterly hilarious when Jazz’s husband actually changed his last name, effectively carrying on the Fenton name. Sure it was largely because of the Fenton name being famous and constantly mentioned when all things ghost were concerned. Still that way to this day, his whole little family essentially became the pioneers and faces of all things ecto. His parents with their hunting, ghost biology research and inventions, Jazz with ghost psychology, and him with ghost relations and ghost translations. The foundations for the sciences and arts of all things ghost. Even the current generation carried that name, too much pride and importance attached to it for any of them to ever change it. 

Pushing in the door and promptly getting tackled by little ten-year-old Levi Fenton, “hows it hanging you little devil?”. She chuckles up at him, “you deeker, for being so young you sure are unlived”. Danny will take the lighthearted insult, if anyone gets to used dated terms it’s him. Even if his little niece insists on calling him a deeker, foolish and socially inept, for it. Besides, he’s always been a dork. 

Waving at her father, Jester, as he sticks his head out the kitchen, smirking before going back to making food, “ah, I fancy you were at Phantom’s little meet turned nuclear? Quite the shell he cracked open on everyone huh?”. 

“Oh, I already knew. But it was highly to my own amusement”, now Jester jerks his head back out and looks accusingly at Danny. Squinting as he realises Danny’s serious, “lad what? Since when? I know you’re the director of a secretive branch, even if you’re barely older than I am, but truth?”. Danny laughs and rubs his neck, “I've always known. But you’ll find no human who did before today anyway”. Jester only gets to glare as Levi runs out the kitchen with the entire pot of food. Danny grabs and catches it as she trips, holding up the hot pot above her, that would have spilled over her, as he raises an eyebrow at her, “Fenton’s are a reckless bunch but this is walking-inside-a-portal-and-turning-it-on, levels of reckless”. She huffs at him though clearly startled, while Danny walks the pot to the kitchen. Jester shakes his head and pinches his nose, “well, she’s a case of extra reckless”. Tilting his head at Danny, “still haven’t placed where you get that saying from. You’re the highest open book covered in synthlocks I know”. 

Danny smirks and tilts his head, it’s nice that it’s finally the right time to have his Fenton family in the know again. Even if there are only two living Fentons’ now, well, and one half living one. “All secrets with time, Jester. But if you really must know...”, Danny trails off as Jester aggressively seats himself and slams his elbows onto the table, ever eager to know anything about the weird ass family friend. Guy didn’t even know Danny’s human bedroom was hidden in the house, so Danny doesn’t exactly blame him. Plus, Fentons’ were a curious bunch. 

Picking back up, “it’s part of the Fenton family’s biggest, weirdest and best-kept secret. And yes it’s a bit ironic that only one Fenton actually knows nowadays, but that’s just how things had to be”. Now Jester just looks confused, which is expected since, to his knowledge, he and his daughter are the only Fentons’ currently. Danny waves off his confusion, “the portal in the lab has some major history. So did the first Fenton protoprotal, both created halfas after all”. 

Jester coughs and looks at Danny incredulously, “dench! Truth?”. Danny nods as he sits down, “indeed, one Vlad Masters. Bless that man’s tiny cold evil heart, can’t say it’s surprising he managed to destroy himself. He wasn’t a true halfa though, the other one is”. Jester nods, “so that’s why the Fentons’ and Masters’ are close, huh”. That was something else Danny got a massive kick out of, Vlad instantly started playing nice when he found out Danny was beyond just overpowered. Eventually, that fake friendliness became somewhat genuine, even if Vlad had still been a conniving evil prick. It was downright impressive his daughters turned out alright, probably wouldn’t have if they’d been halfas though. 

Shaking his head, “Vlad actually hated Jack Fenton, was in love with Maddie Fenton and wanted to adopt the two kids. Spent most of his time trying to kill Jack and fighting the only other Halfa in existence at the time”, tilting his head back and laughing at Jester’s appalled face before continuing, “the only two members of a species utterly hating each other. One evil and lonely, the other good and connected. Very black and white, ironically. The third halfa was actually a clone of the good halfa created by Vlad to make the perfect son. Vlad was a straight up frootloop. Would have acted on a plan to destroy the entire world unless he was made earths ruler if it wasn’t for Phantom becoming The Master Of Time and putting a stop to that bent shit”. 

“How do you even know this? And who’s the Fenton that does? Do the Masters’ know all this?”, Danny wasn’t sure if it was sad or funny that the Masters’ did indeed all know about their halfa ancestor. They didn’t really see him fondly and most of his life was forgotten past to them. 

“The Masters’ know of him and that he was a halfa, but not really about him. As for everything else. Vlad was the very first halfa, existing alone for twenty years until Maddie and Jack built the official Fenton portal. But they put the on switch inside the portal, so when their son decided to walk inside and snoop around, it turned on accidentally. Making the second halfa, one Daniel James Fenton. You can figure out why his middle name is left out in everything”. Jester gawks at him as Danny continues, “calling myself a family friend was a needed ruse for quite some time, it’s simply not now. And now you get why I’m so weird”. 

Jester shakes his head some, “dench, visuals?”. Danny’s not about to just transform into Phantom but an eye glow should be enough, letting his green eyes glow powerfully bright, effectively getting across that he was telling the truth and was not weak by ghost standards. Jester whispers, “dench”, before shaking his head, “you are officially terrifyingly good at hiding and keeping secrets. Dench lad, you’re my ancient uncle and I had no clue”. 

Danny chuckles, “I’m quite the enigma to pretty well everyone. You won’t find any that are completely clued in on everything about me. Ghost, human or otherwise. Even my parents never were, heck! They didn’t even know I was a halfa for four years. But I’m the reason for the family business being what it is, my parents used to hate ghosts, Jazz didn’t even believe in them and there wasn't public proof ghosts even existed. Till I half died and became a famous ghost, anyway”. Jester shakes his head, “that is baffling but also a densely Fenton thing. But if your ghost half is or was famous, I’ve probably heard of that half, I’m to guess?”. It was kind of nice that halfas and ghost were so much more common knowledge know that people were about as shocked at finding out their friend was a ghost as they would be finding out they weren’t straight. But finding out your friend or family was Phantom of all ghosts, was impossibly shocking. Such is the issue with being a hero and guardian, with fame and global reverence. 

Smiling softly, “oh yes you do, everyone does. Ghost, human, or otherwise. I got the title of Great One and saviour of the Ghost Realm, or Ghost Zone really because that’s what it was called back then, when I was fourteen. Sure only the tribe of the FarFrozen called me that but the worshiping made that pretty hard to forget. Eventually, I earned the title of hero here in Amity for picking fights with pretty well every ghost that showed and caused issues. Which used to be pretty well everyone. Which did make school pretty strange, Paulina had a shrine to me in her locker and would put herself in danger just to get my ghost halfs attention. Glad very few people still do that”. 

Jester shakes his head, “what even is your beforeafter? But considering the sheer amount of ghosts Amity’s had, there are lots of options really. Can’t say I’ve memorised the timeline”. Danny snorts, because that was too easy of a setup, “I have”. Jester glares at him, “you've half-lived it. Our history is just your life”. That’s not really what Danny meant but he’s also not exactly wrong either. 

Danny chuckles, “well, as you know, it’s sort of tradition for halfas to name their ghost half. Shocker, Vlad and me started that. Though we were both pretty dumb about it, well, I was more of a joke than dumb but using the same first name, in the same town where you live wasn’t exactly smart. Which is why my human form goes by James now. And why my ghost half goes by my chosen last name, even if everyone knows my first”. Jester laughs into his hand, “ok yeah that was pretty dumb of you, for such a smart guy too. Something tells me you weren’t the most thought blessed kid”. 

“Naw, I failed nearly half my schooling. Largely because I didn’t care though. My problem is more so that I’ll make jokes at the expense of my own safety. I have let myself get stabbed just for a pun on many occasions. My ghost name is literally a ghost pun on the Fenton name. Vlad called himself Vlad Plasmius or just Plasmius, it was cause his purple ectoenergy reminded him of plasma but he never told anyone that. He really was a science deeker in his twenties. Quite the dork. Just eventually became a rich pompous evil bastard of a madman. He made himself the mayor of Amity just to spite me”, Jester shakes his head but gets up, “tea?”, Danny nods but Jester pauses and points at the ectoplasm kind with a raised eyebrow. Danny shrugs, leaving it up to the guy, doesn’t really matter and he’s cool with either. Unsurprised when Jester indeed gives him the, slightly thicker than normal tea and glowing, ectotea. 

Swirling it around and smiling mischievously, “anyway, there’s no point in you guessing at my name, since it’s likely the last thing you would guess. No ones exactly ballsy or inane enough to think they even are friends with, none the less related to, the big DP”. Shrugging at Jesters’ incredulous and puzzled stare, “Danny Fenton, Danny Phantom, it’s almost sad how no one ever notices the similarities. Especially when the whole halfa thing is public knowledge”. 

The two sit silently for a bit before Danny loudly sips at his tea purely for his own amusement. It’s not until his third time doing this that Jester speaks up, whispering, “dench”, before shaking his head and glaring at Danny, “visuals”. Danny tilts his head to check before smirking and transforming, forgoing his cloak and staff, “my times get up is rather unnecessary and faintly overwhelming to have out right now”. Danny sips at his tea while Jester gapes. Danny, with a smirk, “your tea’s gonna go cold”. Making Jester look down at his drink dumbfounded. Before looking back up and composing himself, “dench lad, Phantom is a Fenton. And oh wow yeah that does sound alike. You’re right, I never would have guessed that, but with the time thing, I’m guessing you already knew for sure I wouldn’t”. 

Danny nods as he tilts his head towards the doorway, seconds before Levi slides in, having been pinged by the house that food was actually ready now. Running past Danny and Jester without even looking at them, while Danny smirks. His echoey voice gets her attention though, “so, gonna steal the pot again?”. Danny knows full well she intended to and Jester knows too because of her guilty face, one that’s instantly replaced with shock at seeing Danny still in ghost form. “BENT! PHANTOM!”, Danny tilts his head back and laughs while Jester tries to glare at her for her language but he’s still a little too caught off guard. 

Danny gets up and walks over, opting for legs for once, for the sake of seeming more humanly normal. With the bands shrinking and floating around his ankles. Purples on the left and blue/greens on the right, ruffling up Levi’s hair, “bet you never would have guessed Phantom was your ancient uncle huh? Still think I’m an unlived deeker?”. 

“JAMES!?”, she tilts her head and makes a fish face before looking excited. Kids really were a lot quicker to accept absurd things, and they were also quicker to not really give a shit. “Seeve! You so have to tell me stories!”, watching as she shuffles a bit while Jester spoons out everyone’s food, she tries to look up at Danny innocently, “I’m guessing I can’t tell anyone, can I?”. Danny smiles warmly at her as they sit down for food, “fraid not little lady, tis’ a Fenton family secret. Always has been, always will be. It just so happened that only one Fenton could know for a time”. 

Jester shakes his head as they all eat though the two human Fentons’ spend a good portion of the meal staring at Danny’s fangs every time he opens his mouth. Which is definitely hard for Danny to not laugh at. 

Eventually, the three sit in the living room with Danny in human form again, it’ll take time after all, for them to get used to knowing they're related to and hanging out with Phantom. Danny summons up a viewing screen, “my life’s one big ghost story so care to see how I lived my teenage half-life? Everything after graduating Highschool and becoming The Master Of Time is pretty well history. But the stuff before? That’s Fentory”. Jester groans over Danny’s mash-up of Fenton and history while Danny snickers, while Levi just slaps his leg excitedly. 

Pointing at the screen, “these are viewing screens, I use them to display anything that’s happened or could happen in time. Like a souped-up vimsight. They can also be portals to that time but we’re not doing that”. Jester scoffs, “you make this sound mundane. Which, it stands, is for you”. 

Danny nods, “but of course. My normal is and always has been, everyone else’s definition of abnormal. And if you’ve ever doubted how much of a joke I am, I made a theme song and title sequence to go along with this”. Laughing some at Jesters’ and Levis’ incredulous laughter while the theme song starts and they flat out watch him die on screen. 

They go well through the night watching all the weird to plain messed up episodes of his teenage years. Little ghosts stories encapsulated on a screen about the strangest overpowered no longer so young, halfa; and how he wound this way. 

**End.**


End file.
